Date of Conferral

2-21-2024

Date of Award

February 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

John Harrison

Abstract

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 set forth guidelines for inclusionary practices to ensure that students with disabilities were educated with their nondisabled peers. In early childhood education, there was a paucity of information that addressed, in quantifiable terms, the effect of inclusion on the developmental skills of typically developing children. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental, nonequivalent study was to examine to what extent the prekindergarten program delivery setting, inclusion versus noninclusion, effects the developmental domains of typically developing children. The theoretical framework was based on Arnold Gesell’s maturational theory of development. The developmental domains for typically developing children were measured using the Developmental Profile 4 Teacher Checklist. Data were collected through a nonprobability, purposive sampling method obtaining 136 subjects, evenly distributed into inclusion and noninclusion groupings. A one way MANOVA was conducted to examine to what extent the prekindergarten program delivery setting effects the developmental domains of typically developing children. Results of the MANOVA yielded a statistically significant result (p = .041). The subsequent follow up ANOVA yielded a result of no statistically significant differences in the group means. These results extended knowledge of the effects of inclusive prekindergarten programming on the developmental skills of typically developing children. The social benefit of this knowledge reaffirms the policy of inclusionary practices and shows the ability for children to develop in meaningful ways alongside their peers and to thrive together leading to better lives for all children.

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