The aim of this review is to synthesize the results of multiple studies that measured teachers' attitudes towards gifted students and their education. A total of 1,356 references, 28 of which met our selection criteria, were identified through a literature search. The results suggest that teachers generally have a positive attitude toward the…

Background: Considering the rapid global movement towards inclusion for students with special educational needs (SEN), there is a surprising lack of pedagogical or didactic theories regarding the ways in which inclusive education may affect students with SEN. Group composition within the educational setting may play a role in determining the…

Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) often experience difficulties in their peer relationships at school. Although a broad knowledge base on peer relationships in inclusive classrooms exists, much less is known about peer relationships in special needs classrooms. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on peer relationships in…

The presentation reviews research on the status of special educational programs for gifted and talented students in Taiwan. The effects of special class settings on gifted students' anxiety levels as well as on their self concept are considered. The author suggests that the studies cited do not demonstrate negative effects of special classes:…

The article traces the history of mass segregation of handicapped students in U.S. public schools, notes the advent of the concepts of mainstreaming and least restrictive environment, and analyzes such ramifications of mainstreaming as increased numbers of handicapped students in college and re-emergence of "tracking" or ability grouping. (CL)

A review of the educational and emotional impact of restrictive educational settings on children in the lowest quartile of achievement asserts that the variables which are important for successful student outcomes can occur in most settings. For ethical reasons the least restrictive environment is preferred. (Author/PN)

Types of training considered include selecting target behaviors which are likely to be maintained by natural consequences, promoting self-management skills, and extending stimulus control through creating similarities between the special and regular class settings and matching the regular class reinforcement frequency in the special class. (DB)

This paper reviews the literature on full inclusion and its applicability for students with autism. It concludes that, although the goals and values underlying full inclusion are laudable, neither the research literature nor thoughtful analysis of the nature of autism supports elimination of smaller, highly structured learning environments for…

The failure of common methods of research synthesis to arrive at conclusions about effectiveness of special education is discussed. Meta-analysis, the analysis of analyses, is proposed as an alternative. Results of meta-analyses in the areas of special versus regular class placement, process training, and medically-based intervention are…

A meta-analysis was performed on 11 empirical studies of the effects of mainstreaming. Results indicated that mainstreamed disabled students consistently outperformed nonmainstreamed students with comparable special education classifications. The most success was found in programs with design features (such as continuous assessment) suggested by…

The article reviews the special class as a model of serving exceptional children; reviews the increasingly more complex and more ecological views on retarded, learning disabled, and emotionally disturbed children; and points out implications for research (team research, funding, and consumer review) and practice (clinical approach, augmented…

To examine the existence of short term indicators of long term program results, studies and autobiographical/biographical material of gifted individuals were reviewed. Analysis yielded a checklist of 25 characteristics purported to lead to satisfaction as adults. The checklist items are explained to include the following self perceptions of gifted…

Findings of 43 studies examining the effects of class placement on social adjustment of mentally retarded students were reviewed. Studies met the following criteria: (1) they investigated the class placement of mentally retarded students; (2) they included a dependent measure of social adjustment; and (3) they reported quantitative tests of…

The rationale for inclusion is summarized and then the conceptual orientation underlying a special class for students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) is articulated. A program designed for a self-contained special education classroom for students (grades 5-6) with EBD is described and the positive outcomes of the program are…

The paper distinguishes American and Canadian applications of the terms "mainstreaming" and "integration" in relation to placement of exceptional children in settings which foster interaction between them and their non-handicapped peers such as regular classes in neighborhood schools. The two terms are seen to represent…