Differences in Emotional Well-Being, Social Inclusion and Academic Self-Concept Between Students With and Without Disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Social and emotional development of all students is one of the important goals of inclusive education. The aim of this research is to examine differences in emotional well-being, social inclusion, and academic self-concept between students with and without disabilities from the perspective of teachers in the inclusive educational context of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Teachers assessed their students in grades one to eight, including students with disabilities (N=53) and students without disabilities (N=54), all from the same class, representing both genders with an average age of 11.2 years. The assessment was conducted using the teacher's version of the Perception of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ-T). The results show statistically significant lower levels of emotional well-being, social inclusion, and academic self-concept among students with disabilities when compared to their peers without disabilities. The results indicate the need for further improvement in the implementation of inclusive education, especially regarding inclusive teaching that, according to previous research, could have a positive impact on social, emotional, and academic inclusion of students.