Investigating the Inclusion of Learners with Special Educational Needs: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Their Well-Being

Abstract:

This study evaluated the psychosocial welfare of learners with special educational needs in inclusive settings during the school year 2023-2024 at Arpili Elementary School, Cebu Province Division. The design used in the study was descriptive evaluative and correlational methods to gather data to determine the impact of mainstreaming LSENs in the regular class on their psychosocial welfare. The study's respondents were thirty learners with special educational needs who were mainstreamed in regular classes and chosen through purposive sampling technique. The study employed the two-part adapted-modified questionnaire. The first part gathered the LSENs profiles, including age, gender, grade level, parent’s occupation, and type of children’s disability. The second part of the questionnaire was related to students’ psychosocial welfare. The collected data were statistically treated using frequency, simple percentage, mean, and Chi-square test of independence. Findings revealed the majority or 43.33% of respondents were 11-12 years old. The majority were male or 60.00% and in grade-level six or 30.00%.  Further, the parents’ occupations of the learners were drivers or 20.00% with 1-2 siblings at 46.67%. It was also revealed that most of the learner’s disability was intellectual disability or 46.67%. Findings further revealed that the psychosocial welfare based on their self-esteem was high with a weighted mean of 2.66, social connectedness was high with a weighted mean of 2.77, and terms of emotional regulation were also high with a weighted mean of 2.60. The integration of LSENs into regular classes has been proven to have a positive impact on their psychosocial welfare.

Keywords: Inclusive Education, Psychosocial Well-being, Learners with Special Educational Needs, Descriptive-Correlational Method, Balamban, Cebu, Philippines