The Reality of Self-Contained Social Inclusive Classrooms

Introduction

An inclusive classroom works in favor of students to be enrolled in a regular classroom in which diversity is the main characteristic (Suárez & López, 2018). This type of setting fosters a culture that promotes and develops the potential of students rather than their difficulties. Inclusion values students’ heterogeneity (Crisol et al., 2015).

Conditions in an inclusive classroom, according to Crisol et al. (2015), include:

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  Conception and development of the common curriculum

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  Positive valuation of diversity

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  Social organization of the classroom

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  Cooperative and flexible learning

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  Curricular evaluation approach

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  Active student participation

Given diversity in classrooms, teachers must use an inclusive approach to the teaching-learning process. This requires new methodological and organizational tools to help teachers develop their work. In turn, students will be unaware of this need (Sanahuja et al., 2020).

Changes are not possible without the full commitment of the educational center. It must focus on implementing an internal transformation through a deep reflection on its habits and customs. In addition, educational centers must eliminate barriers so students with a specific need for educational support (ACNEAE) can coexist with their peers.

Fully inclusive classrooms will not exist without the participation and intervention of the entire educational community. The management team, teachers, families, tutors, and support teachers must have the necessary (not minimal) high-quality resources within their reach (Mas et al., 2018). Shared teaching could be a solution, as provided by Mas et al. (2018, p. X), because it facilitates “flexibility, the implementation of new strategies, methodologies, resources ...,” which forms collaborative teams and improved inclusive practices.

A low ratio is required to achieve these goals. This will improve the educational climate, organize groups around students and student needs, create classrooms for each subject, and organize the use of spaces for the center (Crisol, 2015).

ACNEAE students often feel like they are not the protagonist of their learning process, or they are schooled by an uninformed administration or educators. Thus, the students are referred to other professionals (Calderón & Racón, 2021). This, in fact, worsens in the case of music education centers due to limited training for teachers in these centers.

The situation in classrooms of Spanish music schools is disparate. These heterogeneous centers’ classroom hosts children who are born in January and December of the same year. Likewise, differences can be found in the students’ interests and abilities, cultures and origins, health, and self-esteem (Pardo et al., 2020).

Teachers who work in official music training centers must have the higher degree in music, as well as its previous equivalents. The education curriculum differs from one autonomous community to another. The pedagogy specialty, which is not taught in all Spanish centers, does not have a specific subject that offers ACNEAE resources to its learners. Limited training is given to students in specialties like interpretation, composition, or musicology. In the best of cases, one subject during the four years of studies will include didactics or pedagogy. Students who obtain the degree in music may choose to complete a master’s degree in teacher training later. It is, therefore, possible that these deficiencies will be overcome because the master’s degree targets teachers who teach in a secondary school setting.