An investigation of description and intervention efforts of social competence characteristics of a mainstreamed primary classroom

The general purpose of this action research study was to describe and examine the efforts taken for the improvement of the social adequacy characteristics in a third grade mainstreamed primary school classroom in Eskişehir. A child who was diagnosed as intellectual disability, six normally developing students, their teacher, the school counselor, the parents, the researcher, her dissertation advisors and two specialists in the field of education were the participants of this investigation. This research effort occurred in two phases. During the first phase the general situations, social skills and the classroom climate were described by utilizing the field notes, interviews, videotaped data of the actual classroom interactions and the students? artifacts. Based on the compiled and analyzed data a social skills intervention program was developed with the contribution of the classroom teacher. According to this program various activity plans were developed and the teacher and the researcher applied the activities during the determined lessons. The data including the lesson plans, interviews, the students? artifacts were collected and analyzed in cyclical actions. All the lessons were videotaped by either the teacher or the researcher. The weekly reflection meetings were held with the teacher before and after the application of each lesson plans. The ongoing data were reviewed by the advisors regularly. iv It was found that the teacher and school counselor and students? parents have positive opinions toward the applied program. The teacher reported that he improved in his academic skills and occupational self esteem about developing social skills and interactions of his classroom. In addition, the teacher explained that the students who have high academic success but obstructing their peers overcame their unaccepted social skills. The school counselor reported that the activities about social skills applied classroom fostered the students? academic and social skills, improved the teacher?s knowledge, behaviors and increased his occupational self-esteem. Similar to the teacher?s and the school counselor?s opinions, the parents reported that the students improved in their academic and social skills. When peer preference scale data were examined, it was determined that the social status of the mainstreamed child and other focused students changed. This investigation provided the researcher to improve her skills in developing, applying and modifying, social skills intervention program in the mainstream. In conclusion, in the mainstream conditions, collaborative work of specialists and teachers seemed to have positive impacts on not only the mainstreamed student but also the other stakeholders? social skills in the classroom.