Teachers' attitudes about the least restrictive environment in relation to student characteristics and the effects of COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Historically, the least restrictive environment (LRE) is the environment that allows students who receive special education services to be with typically achieving peers to the greatest degree that is appropriate. Recently, there has been an emphasis on supporting all students during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Students have gone through very different experiences during the COVID-19 school closures, which is sure to result in an achievement gap that affects their educational performance and social-emotional functioning. With the sudden closure of schools and suspension to in-person learning, students who received individualized special services were no longer able to obtain such services in the same capacity as mandated. Furthermore, opportunities for social interactions with peers were unavailable to these students who may need them the most (Brandenburg, et. al., 2020). These issues may also have a ripple effect and influence teachers' recommendations for students' educational placements. For students who receive special education services, this puts them at risk for being recommended for more restrictive learning environments in lieu of the LRE. This study sought to examine whether teachers' attitudes of the LRE coupled with specific student needs, and the effects of COVID-19 would influence teachers' placement recommendations for students who receive special education services. Teachers were required to read four case vignettes that were identical in description with the exception of type of student need (i.e., academic or behavioral) and environmental factors (i.e., during COVID-19 or not) and make one of four placement recommendation decisions. Teachers' responses on the Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Scale (MATIES) were then analyzed in conjunction with each of the placement recommendations they made to the four case vignettes. Multiple regression analysis found that students with an academic need, without the presence of COVID-19, were more likely to be recommended for a more restrictive placement setting when compared to students with an academic need during COVID-19, while students that demonstrated a behavioral need were more likely to be recommended for a less restrictive setting regardless if COVID-19 was a factor or not. These findings are discussed within the context of study limitations and implications for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)