Chapter I: Theoretical Foundations of

Classroom Management in Special

Education

MODULE 1: DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM

 Lesson 1 – Concept of Diversity
 Lesson 2 – Sources of Learner Diversity
 Lesson 3 – Diversity in Special Education Setting

MA. XERXA DOAN P. BILLONES

Instructor I
 INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
INSTRUCTION TO THE LEARNER
 After working through this module you should be
able to:

• Explain what is meant by the term diversity

• Identify and describe the sources of learner
diversity
• Determine learner diversity as applied in SPED
settings
• Explain the value of understanding diversity in
classroom management
OVERVIEW OF THE LESSON
LESSON 1 – CONCEPT OF DIVERSITY
 Diversity simply means:

• Recognizing the group or individual differences that we

see in our students (Eggen & Kauchack, 2010)
• It means looking at each students’ unique profile – his
biological challenges, his family patterns, and where he
stands on the developmental ladder (Greenspan &
Weider, 1998)
• Obviously, it is identified with race, gender, age and
other physical attributes.
• It is also identified by some less obvious characteristics
like religious and/or social beliefs and social orientation.
• Studies have shown that a teacher who is ill-prepared to
understand the diversity in the classroom tends to
discriminate subtly students through certain facial
expression, selective acknowledgement or tolerating
class ”monopolisers” ( Davis, 2001).
• The lack of understanding can also result to general
labelling of students increasing the incidence of
incorrect assumptions about individual students.
Understanding diversity prepares us for a new cultural
paradigm, a mainstream culture that encourages, values
and promotes tolerance for individual differences.
 Having children with different backgrounds and
abilities in a single classroom has its challenges. We
need to consider what each child needs to learn and
how he or she can learn best. We need to discover how
to get all of the children, no matter what disabilities
they have, want to learn together happily. The most
important challenge of the Special Education teacher in
a diverse educational setting is to deal with prejudice
and discrimination.
LESSON 2 – SOURCES OF LEARNER
DIVERSITY
Learner diversity in a typical classroom can be attributed
to culture, gender, socioeconomic status and learning style
as shown in the figure below:

Culture
Gender
Language
Learning Style
Socioeconomic Status
Cultural Considerations Influencing Learning:
LESSON 3 – DIVERSITY IN THE
SPECIAL EDUCATION SETTING
 Aside from the sources mentioned previously, individual
differences cans also be explained in terms of:

• How the child reacts to sensations, processes

information, plans actions and sequences
behavior and thought
• The level of functional emotional, social and
intellectual capacities
• Typical and necessary interaction patterns
• Family patterns
9Grrenspan & Weider, 1998)
Legal mandates and policies that reflects the implications
for understanding learner diversity

• Education Act of 1982 and Co0nstitution of the

Republic of the Philippines, Article XIV, Section 5,
paragraph 5 (1987)
mandates that all people regardless of sex, age,
creed, socioeconomic status, physical and mental
condition, social and ethnic origin, political and
other affiliations should be given access to quality
education in line with the national goals and
conducive to their full development.
• The global movement for Education For all (1990) was
strongly reaffirmed by the Salamanca Statement and
Framework for Action (1994) in its principle and policy
ensuring the right to education for evryone regardless of
individual differences.
• The Philippine participation in this significant conference
and in the Dakar Framework 2000 inspired the
Philippine Education for All 2015 National Action Plan
specifically to include in its goals a strong declaration to
provide basic quality education for all and eliminate
gender disparities in primary and secondary education.
SUMMARY
ASSESSMENT
• END OF MODULE 1

• NEXT: MODULE 2