Assessing the Level of Self-Esteem, Social Engagement and Emotional Regulation of Learners with Special Needs in Inclusive Environment

Abstract:

This study aimed to evaluate the psychosocial well-being of learners with special educational needs (LSENs) in inclusive settings during the 2023-2024 school year at Luray II National High School, serving as a basis for an action plan. The research employed a descriptive evaluative and correlational method to gather data and determine the impact of mainstreaming LSENs into regular classes on their psychosocial well-being. The respondents for this study were learners with special educational needs who had been mainstreamed into regular classes, selected through purposive sampling techniques. To collect data, a two-part adapted questionnaire was utilized. The first part gathered demographic information about the LSENs, including age, gender, grade level, and type of disability. The second part consisted of questions related to the students’ psychosocial well-being. The collected data were statistically analyzed using frequency, simple percentage, mean, and Chi-square tests of independence. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents were 15 years old and above, comprising 24.80% of the sample, and were in the 8th grade. Additionally, a majority of the respondents were male, accounting for 60.00% of the sample. Furthermore, most respondents hailed from low-income families, with 1-2 siblings, constituting 43.33% of the sample. The study also uncovered that the most prevalent disabilities among the learners were hearing impairment, intellectual disability, and autism. Regarding psychosocial well-being, the findings indicated that self-esteem levels were low, with a mean average of 2.41. Conversely, social connectedness was high, with a mean average of 2.55. Emotional regulation, however, was reported as low, with a mean average of 2.41. These results suggest that learners with special educational needs often experience diminished psychosocial well-being when integrated into regular classes.

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