Will the Creation of a Getting to Know You Club increase the Participation Level and Social Interaction of Classified Students Placed in a Third Grade Inclusion Setting

This study was intended to measure the success of a "buddy system," approach to socialization among classified and general education students in a third inclusion class. The intervention was intended to increase the confidence and participation of five classified students under study and, at the same time, foster stronger friendships between these students and their general education peers. The classified students under study spent most of the day in a resource room, taught by their special education resource room teacher. The teacher/researcher observed that there was a lack of participation on the part of the five classified students once they returned to the general education classroom. In addition the five students showed a reluctance to socialize with their general education classmates once they came back into the general education setting. It was hypothesized that if semi-weekly social gatherings occurred between the two groups then the comfort levels and the participation of the five classified students would increase. Data for this study were collected using both quantitative and qualitative methods: a pre- and post-intervention attitudinal survey, focus groups, field notes, and teacher/researcher observations. The results of this study would indicate that, as a result of this intervention, the five students under study developed greater self-confidence, participated in class discussion more frequently and generally felt a stronger bond with other members of their third grade class.