IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS ENROLLED IN MAINSTREAM EDUCATION WITHOUT APPROPRIATE SUPPORT CONDITIONS: ANALYSIS OF SURVEY RESULTS
Abstract. This study was conducted to systematically identify students in general education institutions who, despite not being placed in specialized settings, experience learning difficulties due to special educational needs. A quantitative descriptive research design (survey method) was employed, and a new survey instrument, along with specific implementation guidelines, was developed to ensure the effective identification of learning difficulties. Data were collected through a large-scale survey covering 1,049,035 students enrolled in 927 general education institutions during the 2024/2025 academic year. The reliability of the instrument and the validity of the results were assessed through comparative analysis with centralized monitoring indicators for grades 4, 6, and 9. The findings indicate that students experiencing difficulties adapting to general education settings can be grouped into two categories: those requiring additional psychological and pedagogical support, and those with special education needs. Furthermore, it was determined that, without additional support mechanisms and adapted learning conditions, these students in mainstream education demonstrate significantly lower academic performance compared to their peers. These results suggest that the effectiveness of inclusive education should not be limited to the physical integration of students with special educational needs into general education institutions. Rather, it also requires ensuring their social inclusion and providing appropriate conditions and specialized support to guarantee access to quality education.
Keywords: students with special educational needs, inclusive education, learning difficulties, special education, mainstream education.
