Since the ratification of the UN-Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the development of inclusive education, schools become more heterogenous including students with different learning needs. A central part of inclusive education is the social participation of all students. However, research shows that the social participation of students with special educational needs seems to be lower than their peers without special needs (e.g., Avramidis, Avgeri, & Strogilos, 2018). Research also indicates that students’ attitudes towards their peers are a central determinant for social participation (Rademaker, de Boer, Kupers, & Minnaert, 2020). For this reason, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of an intervention program designed to promote students’ social participation. Therefore, an intervention study was developed and data was collected at two measurement points. In this study, a sample of N = 260 German primary school students from the third and fourth grade were surveyed with a paper-pencil-questionnaire regarding their attitudes towards peers. The measurement of the students’ attitudes was carried out on the basis of vignettes which referred to children with different difficulties, for instance, difficulties in their mental or emotional-social development. Between the two measurement points, the intervention program was implemented with the aim of promoting students’ social participation by focusing on their social-emotional competences. The results of a paired t-test reveal significant differences in the students’ attitudes between the first and second measurement point. In detail, regarding the students’ attitudes towards peers with mental difficulties, there is a significant difference before and after the implementation of the intervention program (M1 = 3.02; SD1 = .79; M2 = 3.12; SD2 = .76; p ≤ .05). With respect to their attitudes towards peers with difficulties in their emotional-social development, the students’ attitudes also increased significantly over this time (M1 = 2.75; SD1 = .89; M2 = 3.07; SD2 = .83; p ≤ .001). The results of this study indicate that primary school students’ attitudes towards their peers with different difficulties can be changed in a positive direction by implementing an intervention program, which aims at promoting students’ social participation. The findings therefore suggest that this intervention program can contribute to the promotion of students’ social participation in the classroom by improving their attitudes towards peers with difficulties.

Avramidis, E., Avgeri, G., & Strogilos, V. (2018). Social participation and friendship quality of students with special educational needs in regular Greek primary schools. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 33(2), 221–234. Rademaker, F., Boer, A. de, Kupers, E., & Minnaert, A. (2020). Applying the contact theory in inclusive education: A systematic review on the impact of contact and information on the social participation of students with disabilities. Frontiers in Education, 5, 1–21.