CLASSROOM TEACHERS INSTRUCTIONAL INTERACTIONS WITH STUDENTS WHO ARE EXCEPTIONAL, AT RISK, AND TYPICALLY ACHIEVING

THE CONVERSATIONAL INTERACTIONS OF 9 TEACHERS AND THEIR THIRD-GRADE ST UDENTS WERE RECORDED DURING INDIVIDUAL SEATWORK TIME IN ACADEMIC LESSO NS. TEACHERS' VIEWS ABOUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES IN WORKING WITH STUDE NTS WHO ARE EXCEPTIONAL OR AT RISK OF ACADEMIC FAILURE WERE QUITE DIVE RGENT AND WERE RELATED TO THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL DISCOURSE STRATEGIES. TE ACHERS WHO SAW THEMSELVES AS INSTRUMENTAL IN EFFECTIVE INCLUSION ENGAG ED IN MORE ACADEMIC COMPARED TO NONACADEMIC INTERACTIONS. THIS GROUP A LSO EXHIBITED GREATER USE OF TECHNIQUES TO EXTEND STUDENTS' THINKING, COMPARED TO THOSE TEACHERS WHO HELD CONTRASTING VIEWS. THEY ALSO INTER ACTED MORE WITH THEIR STUDENTS WHO ARE EXCEPTIONAL AND AT RISK THAN WI TH THEIR TYPICALLY ACHIEVING STUDENTS, AND AT HIGHER LEVELS OF COGNITI VE EXTENSION THAN DID THE OTHER TEACHERS, WHO SELDOM INTERACTED WITH T HE STUDENTS WHO WERE IN THE EXCEPTIONAL AND AT-RISK GROUP. THE RESULTS SHED LIGHT ON HOW TEACHERS DIFFER IN ADAPTING INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENT S IN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS, AND HOW INSTRUCTION MIGHT BE DIFFERENTIALLY DELIVERED AS A FUNCTION OF TEACHERS' VIEWS ABOUT INCLUSION.