In previous research, the majority of investigations found a favorable development of cognitive competencies of students with special educational needs (SEN) if these students attended an inclusive school compared to exclusive settings (e.g., Baker, Wang, & Walberg, 1994; Myklebust, 2006; Ruijs & Peetsma, 2009). However, until today it remains unclear which characteristics of the respective learning settings are related to these different achievement levels. One possible explanation is the teacher’s classroom behavior. Here, it is assumed that teachers in inclusive and exclusive settings differ in their teaching methods, their teaching quality, as well as their interactions with students (Hocutt, 1996; Schumann, 2007; Wocken, 2005). Thus, the question arises, what characterizes teaching in inclusive classrooms? The aim of the present study was to provide a systematic review of empirical research findings of teachers’ classroom behavior in inclusive primary schools. Therefore, the current status of research was analyzed and synthetized in a systematic narrative literature review to address the following research question: What classroom behavior of teachers can be observed in inclusive primary schools? Due to the varying international progresses of inclusion in school and teacher education, the present literature review focused on one country – Germany. To identify the relevant literature, eight databases were selected (e.g., PsycINFO, FIS Bildung). The literature survey based on a search syntax consisting of 100 combinations of German keywords addressing the teacher’s classroom behavior (e.g., inclusion AND school AND teacher, integration AND school AND differentiation). Subsequently, the determined publications (N = 6058) were selected in a two-step process based on criteria for including (e.g., focus on inclusive primary schools, focus on teachers’ classroom behavior) and excluding a publication (e.g., exclusively another school type, no empirical study) to identify appropriate literature for a later full-text analysis and synthesis. In the first step, all publications were rated solely by their title by two raters. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, they independently decided whether a publication fitted the aim of the present study. Resulting from this, N = 1371 publications were accepted for the second step of the selection process – the abstract rating with a similar procedure. Then, the full-texts of the finally selected publications will be coded by the two independent raters based on a categorical system taking publication characteristics, the studies’ sample and design as well as the findings into account. In the symposium, results of the analyzed full texts will be synthesized and discussed.

Baker, E. T., Wang, M. C., & Walberg, H. J. (1994). The effects of inclusion on learning. Educational Leadership, 53, 33-35. Hocutt, A. M. (1996). Effectiveness of special education: Is placement the critical factor?. The future of children, 6(1), 77-102. Myklebust, J. O. (2006). Class placement and competence attainment among students with special educational needs. British Journal of Special Education, 33(2), 76-81. Ruijs, N. M., & Peetsma, T. T. (2009). Effects of inclusion on students with and without special educational needs reviewed. Educational Research Review, 4(2), 67-79. Schumann, B. (2007). „Ich schäme mich ja so!“ Die Sonderschule für Lernbehinderte als „Schonraumfalle“ [“I feel so ashamed!“ The special school for children with learning difficulties as sheltered environment trap]. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt. Wocken, H. (2005). Andere Länder, andere Schüler? Vergleichende Untersuchung von Förderschülern in den Bundesländern Brandenburg, Hamburg und Niedersachsen (Forschungsbericht) Mai 2005 [Different countries, different students? Comparing analysis of children with special educational needs in the federal states Brandenburg, Hamburg and Niedersachsen (research report) May 2005]. Retrieved at http://bidok.uibk.ac.at/download/wocken-forschungsbericht.pdf