Integration of Pupils with Behavioural Disorders

Background and aims

Children and youths who exhibit sustained behavioural disorders in schools constitute a great challenge to teaching staff during integrative teaching.

Any number of studies shows that integration is an entirely feasible and highly promising route. Practising professionals, however, raise the question of how children with special emotional and/or social needs can be successfully integrated.

Questions

This research project explores the conditions necessary for the successful integration of pupils with behavioural disorders. Successful integration is based on the following criteria: Prevention of increase in current problems, a more or less successful school-related development, peer group acceptance and a realistic self-evaluation of the pupil's own problems.

Methods

The study covered forty school students with behavioural problems, drawn from twenty classes. Teaching and the learning behaviour of these students were assessed in the course of four lessons using structured classroom observation and the time sampling method. Logs were kept of 695 time units of five minutes each.

Written interviews were furthermore conducted with students and teachers. These drew on the abridged version of the “Friendship and Wellbeing in School” (FFWS) questionnaire, the German translation of the “Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire” (SDQ) and the “General Development Questionnaire” (FAE).

Results

The findings suggest that both didactic methods and class management factors play a part in the way teaching is designed.