In the profession of teaching, there are many popular topics of discussion with regards to creating the optimum learning environment for students. Each of these topics has a multitude of literature research to defend several different perspectives. Aside from the obvious complications, new perspectives are still being introduced which are arguably more effective than the past information which has influenced a teacher’s current method of teaching. One of these widely discussed topics is that of students with special needs in education.
Special needs is a topic which leaves many teachers questioning their own ability to teach individual students and to modify the curriculum to suit these students which in turn significantly impacts both the students involved as well as the other students surrounding them. This review will go on to discuss the importance of students with special needs in education, the strengths and weaknesses of the existing literature on this topic as well as how this information will assist with the development of further research.
The topic of whether students with special needs in education creates a hierarchy between teachers and students is particularly relevant to me as a pre service teacher as a result of my second year professional placement in a small country Catholic School. The fourth year class I was based in had two students who were identified as having a sensory processing disorder. These students needed more scaffolding, explanation and demonstration to be able to complete their work. These students could do the work as long as it was explained to them in detail and also if they had expectations to achieve.