A Study on the Acceptance of Mainstreamed Pupils by Their Non-Disabled Peers in a Regular Classroom Setting

Abstract

Mainstreaming refers to the process by which children with varying levels of disabilities are placed in classroom settings with typically developing, non-disabled peers (Carrington, 2006). It is one of the ways in which disabled children could develop their social, emotional and cognitive skills. However placing them in the regular class is not enough. It is also important that they are well accepted by their regular peers. This descriptive study investigated on the acceptance of mainstreamed students in Legarda Elementary School. One hundred regular students from grades 3-5, the mainstreamed pupils and the teachers were chosen as respondents to gather the necessary data used in this study. The acceptability of the mainstreamed pupils was measured through a sociometric instrument in which the regular students would nominate then- classmate based on the six social situations (as a friend, classmate, leader, seatmate, workmate and playmate). The results of the study showed that the mainstreamed pupils were accepted by their non-disabled peers based on the six dimensions of acceptance whether they know about their classmate’s disability or not. The mainstreamed students are highly accepted as a leader and least accepted as a seatmate. The high contentment of the mainstreamed students in their respective classes validates their acceptance in the regular classroom. Different kinds of interaction also exist between the mainstreamed and regular students which have contributed to their acceptance in the regular classroom. The regular students’ perception regarding disability, its causes and definition are limited. Although majority of the students do not know the meaning and cause of having a disability they mostly defined it as having a sickness or ailment and these are also its causes.