Abstract
The main purpose of this thesis is to examine both special education and general education teacher’s perspectives on IEPs in relation to inclusive practices for elementary students. More specifically, the study aims to answer the main research question: Do IEPs hinder inclusion for elementary school students with disabilities in the inclusive classroom setting? The study also contains two sub-questions: What are general education and special education teacher’s general perspectives of and experiences with planning, implementation, and assessment of IEPs in relation to inclusive education? What are the challenges and positive aspects posed by IEPs regarding inclusion/ inclusive education? Participants in this study consisted of two elementary school general education teachers and two elementary school special education teachers. The participants were recruited based on purposeful and snowball sampling and have experience in their respective field ranging from 6-29 years. This qualitative thesis utilizes a Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) approach, which is a method that makes it easy and theoretically flexible to identify and analyze patterns or themes in a given data set. During the semi-structured interviews, the participants were able to expand and reveal their experiences and their own perspectives on the various aspects related to IEPs and inclusion. Despite the various challenges and negative aspects that make up most of the current literature and research studies surrounding IEPs in relation to inclusion, the findings of this study showed that while these challenges are still present, there was much more evidence presented that indicated the many positive aspects of IEPs in relation to inclusion. As such, these findings suggest that IEPs do not hinder inclusion, but can be seen as one of the most important tools used to support inclusion.