engleski

Assessment of student’s calculating skills in Croatian inclusive third classes

Assessment of student’s calculating skills in Croatian inclusive third classes is part of international research study on scientific project “Evidence Based Education: European Strategic Model for School Inclusion” (EBE- EUSMOSI). The aim of the study was to distinguish high and law inclusive classrooms and to answer on research question “Does inclusion quality reflects the efficiency of students?”. The assessment of present research was based on one instrument Calculating (AC- MT3). The sample consists of 17 schools and classes with totally 307 students, and 34 students with special education needs. Based on the insight into the initial results of project EBE-EUSMOSI obtained from measuring the quality of inclusive education in primary schools in the City of Zagreb and in the Zagreb County, it is possible to speak of potential differences between students with disabilities and their peers in their academic achievement. In this paper results on academic achievement in maths skills for students with difficulties and their peers are presented. There are two forms of assessment, group and individual, and also four dimensions of maths skills that were measured through instrument “Calculating AC- MT3”: calculating till 1000 total points and adoption (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division), knowing numbers total points and adoption, total time for solving the tasks and total number of mistakes or accuracy in solving tasks. The main focus of the research presented in this paper was looking for possible differences between students with difficulties and their peers in high quality inclusion in compare with low quality inclusive classes in their academic achievement of math skills. Also, the aim was to gain insight into the successfulness in solving tasks in inclusive classes and analyse of mistakes in solving tasks for students with difficulties and for their peers. The results have shown statistically significant difference in high quality inclusion classes in calculating, knowing numbers, accuracy or mistakes and time need for solving tasks among students with difficulties and their peers. This means that main determinant of high quality inclusion process, the teachers work in the inclusive classroom, should be more focused on enhancing cognitive, social and emotional and metacognitive abilities of all students using different methods and strategies for effective teaching and that teachers need they need additional skills in teaching maths. The suggestions are to pay attention to the exercise solving strategies, the time need to solve the exercises and the frequency of errors in calculating. These results show benefits for all learners in more inclusive school settings, regarding educational outcomes in calculating. The data obtained might help to empower the teachers and thus also the schools to act inclusively in the area in timely recognition of difficulties and giving an appropriate support.

inclusive education, assessment, academic skills, calculating

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