When Students with Disabilities Participate in Cooperative Groups

Abstract

This study examined the overall performance as well as the amount and nature of participation by students with disabilities in cooperative groups. Regression and discriminant analyses were used to investigate the amount and nature of participation by students with disabilities in cooperative groups used in a state science assessment. The results indicated that most students with disabilities were in groups that functioned like groups with all general education students. However, groups with students with behavioral disorders or students with mental impairments did not interact like the other groups; there was less participation and listening by group members. The discussion stresses the nature of the group task in the generalization of these results.