In the simplest terms, inclusive education means ensuring that all students have equitable access to education, no matter their individual needs or barriers to learning. This would mean ensuring that students with disabilities, students who speak English as a second language, low-income students, and students from non-majority social groups are all given the guidance and support necessary to achieve their best.
In other words, inclusive education seeks to level the playing field, creating a space where students of all backgrounds and abilities can thrive and fulfill their potential.
How exactly do inclusive learning initiatives level the educational playing field? A more thorough discussion of inclusive learning will reveal what it entails, its benefits, its roadblocks, and ultimately how smaller class size is the key component to achieving inclusive education and reaping all its benefits.
The road to inclusion…
…is paved with individualized pedagogy strategies. In other words, since every student has different skills and ability levels, teaching cannot follow a “one size fits all” approach. To teach each student’s abilities and cultivate growth, individual teaching strategies must be developed.
Educators must have the time, space, and resources necessary to get to know each student individually and develop meaningful, trusting relationships. This is the only way to understand each student’s unique abilities, learning preferences, and whatever learning barriers may exist.
Larger class sizes do not give teachers what they need to develop these relationships and understand each student’s individual needs.
Roadblocks to inclusive learning
One of the most pervasive roadblocks to inclusive learning is implicit bias. These unconscious attitudes influence an individual’s perception of the world and its people, which affects their treatment of others.
Educators are not immune to implicit bias. It can cause them to unconsciously set lower standards of achievement for students with disabilities, female students in STEM classes, students of non-majority social groups, and students who speak English as a secondary language.
In essence, implicit biases can presuppose the failure or mediocrity of these students right from the start. But luckily, the most efficient cure for implicit bias also happens to be a tactic that facilitates inclusivity in the classroom.
Experts on implicit bias agree that the best way to chip away is to mentally separate individuals from the group and get to know each other personally. In the case of the teacher-student dynamic, learning a student’s strengths and challenges facilitates understanding of their true potential. It helps both teacher and student form realistic goals for their learning and achievement.
And once again, it is challenging for educators to forge these relationships and make these assessments when teaching large, unwieldy classes. The most effective way to erode implicit bias and thus facilitate inclusive education is for teachers to operate in smaller, more manageable courses.
Benefits of individualized teaching strategies and smaller class sizes
Individualized instruction closes achievement gaps by supporting each student to perform at their full potential.
And this kind of laser focus on students’ abilities and areas of struggle can also help teachers more easily identify learning disabilities like dyslexia and dyscalculia and symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder and other social/developmental issues.
Also, this type of individualized attention aids in identifying mental health issues early so that students can receive treatment quickly, possibly preventing crises like school shootings and suicide.
Smaller class size allows teachers to separate students into smaller groups for collaborative work, letting students reap the social benefits of small group interactions. These interactions make it easier for students to socialize with peers and form friendships.
For many children with ASD or simply introverted and reserved, an environment where the pressures and anxieties surrounding social interaction are soothed is invaluable, allowing them to thrive socially where they may have remained closed off if left on the fringes of a large group.
Also, fewer students per teacher mean fewer parents per teacher. Smaller ratios allow teachers to make more time for parent meetings, which can be spent working in concert to assess the student’s needs and design individualized instruction strategies.
What size class is best for inclusive learning?
For a general idea of terminology surrounding the class size and what is considered “small” or “large,” the following ranges may be helpful.
- 4-14—Socratic method/Seminar class (typical of graduate-level work)
- 15-20—Small class
- 20-30—Medium class
- Over 30—Large class or lecture (typical of undergraduate college studies)
There is much research on class sizes, how they affect learning at every age/stage, and what number is ideal for each situation. Assessments vary, but what is universally agreed upon is that smaller is better regarding student outcomes and achievement.
Many studies and educator resources tend toward the magic number of 18, but many also indicate that 18 should be treated as a maximum, giving preference to the 12-15 range. Since these are general recommendations, 18 could be seen as ideal for the general student population, but when vulnerable students are involved, the 12-15 range is more ideal.
The current size of the average class in American public schools is 24. Twenty-four is a national average, and numbers vary from state to state and type of school. In the state with the highest class size average, Utah, the average class size is 26, but some states and some school/classroom types saw averages of 30 and over.
While the average of 24 is still technically in the “medium” range, those classes that hit 30 and above would look more like an undergraduate class at a large state university than a small, manageable middle or elementary school class.
In other words, when it comes to successfully facilitating inclusive learning, many classrooms across the nation are set up to struggle from the start, if not fail altogether. And only a handful of states hit the 18-student sweet spot, with class size winner Maine coming in at 17 students per classroom.
The current data would indicate that the efforts to pull class size numbers to the coveted 18 students mark have a long way to go. So too, it gives educators the space, time, and resources necessary to facilitate consistent inclusive learning.
To get that national average lower, along with numbers for each state and school district, educators and advocates who understand the importance of inclusive learning and smaller class sizes must become involved in local and state politics.
Involvement can start with local PTA and school board meetings and go up to voting and campaigning for political candidates in national, state, and local elections that share a passion for making every student count.
To begin understanding what’s going on in your local and state school boards, the National Association of State Boards of Education is an excellent starting point to enter the conversation. And be sure to check in with your own local and state websites.
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