Looking behind the desks: secondary school teachers' perceptions and strategies regarding the social participation of students with SEBD

Although the social dimension of inclusion is increasingly becoming a focus of research, little attention has been paid to teachers<acute accent> efforts to address the social participation of secondary school students with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties (SEBD). This study presents the results of 11 interviews with Austrian secondary school teachers and focuses on how they rated their SEBD students<acute accent> social participation and what strategies they applied in its promotion. The study reveals that teachers found their students<acute accent> social participation to be satisfactory and applied direct and indirect strategies to foster it. While teachers used various strategies to promote positive student interactions, SEBD students<acute accent> social self-perception, and their acceptance by classmates, they did not directly encourage the development of friendships. The indirect strategies employed by teachers included gaining support from colleagues and the school management, establishing close parental contact, making educational adjustments to meet students<acute accent> needs and developing trusting teacher-student relationships.