Will you be my friend? A multilevel network analysis of friendships of students with and without special educational needs backgrounds in inclusive classrooms

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between having a special educational needs background (SEN) and the likelihood of having friends in inclusive classes. We assumed that a combination of individual, dyadic and contextual variables can sufficiently explain the relation between a SEN diagnosis and the likelihood of friendship. Data analysis was based on a cross-sectional sample of students (N = 1241) in second and third grade primary-school classes. To address the different levels adequately, the present study improves upon previous research in two ways: First, the sociometric data were analyzed with the p2 model, a specialized multilevel network model. Second, the study focused solely on friendships and emphasized the concept's unique features with respect to inclusive education. Data analysis indicated that students with SEN had a decreased probability of becoming friends with their classmates compared to students without SEN. Even when individual, dyadic, and contextual variables were included into the model, the association between a SEN diagnosis and the likelihood of friendship persisted. The implications of the results are discussed with respect to their implications for inclusive teaching practice. (DIPF/Orig.) ; Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war es, den Zusammenhang zu untersuchen zwischen einem diagnostizierten sonderpädagogischen Förderbedarf (SPF) und der Wahrscheinlichkeit, Freundschaften in einer inklusiven Schulklasse zu schließen. Es wurde angenommen, dass eine Kombination aus individuellen, dyadischen und kontextuellen Variablen einen möglichen Zusammenhang zwischen einer SPF-Diagnose und der Wahrscheinlichkeit einer Freundschaft vorhersagt. Die Querschnittsanalysen basieren auf einer Stichprobe von N=1241 Grundschulkindern der zweiten und dritten Klasse. Die vorliegende Studie hebt sich von bisherigen Forschungsarbeiten in zwei Punkten ab: Erstens wurden soziometrische Daten mit dem p2-Modell analysiert, einem spezialisierten Mehrebenen-Netzwerk-Modell. Zweitens ...