Children’s reasoning about challenging social exclusion of peers with learning difficulties

Abstract

Inclusive classrooms aim to promote the social participation of children with learning difficulties (LD). Research shows that children without LD view it as fair to include their peers with LD into the classroom community. Still, children with LD often face social exclusion. This study addressed this gap by investigating how children reason about challenging LD-based exclusion. One objective was to document the distinction between children’s personal goals and their expectations of their peers’ goals when confronting exclusionary behavior toward a peer with LD. Swiss elementary school children ( N = 349, 7–13 years, 48% female) were introduced to a scenario about a classmate with LD who was excluded from a group task. They reasoned whether and why they would intervene and what reactions they expected from the group and the perpetrator. The results showed that the vast majority of children personally intended to intervene, primarily for moral reasons. However, children’s expectations about their peers were different. They expected a wide range of responses, including negative group dynamics and LD-stereotypes. Higher perceptions of inclusive classroom norms were related to fewer expectations of negative group dynamics. Moreover, older children’s reasoning was more differentiated and included multiple concerns simultaneously. These findings inform strategies for creating inclusive classrooms.