Patterns of teacher-student interaction in inclusive elementary classrooms and correlated with student self-concept

The efficacy of placing students with special needs in inclusive classrooms may depend in part on how instructional factors contribute to student outcomes. Differences in frequencies and levels of cognitive engagement of interactions among nine teachers in inclusive elementary classrooms were related to three other variables; teachers' ratings on the Pathognomonic- Interventionsist Scale, students' designation either as exceptional or at-risk or as typically achieving and students' scores on the Piers Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. The relationship is discussed between teachers' beliefs, their different patterns of instructional interactions with students with and without disabilities in inclusive classrooms, and the possible impact of institutional interventions on students' self-concept. [AJ].