110 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group Asian Journal of Education and Training Vol. 10, No. 2, 110-117, 2024 ISSN(E) 2519-5387 DOI: 10.20448/edu.v10i2.5735 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group The ideal school for mainstreaming students' dreams Serdal Deniz1 Ridvan Karabulut2 1,2Kayseri University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Turkey. 1Email: serdaldeniz1@gmail.com 2Email: ridvan_karabulut@yahoo.com ( Corresponding Author) Abstract This research was conducted to determine the ideal school that mainstream students dream of. The research was conducted using the phenemology approach, one of the qualitative research models. Participating in the research were students with mild special needs who attended inclusive education in Turkey and had no problems understanding and answering the questions asked, as well as the teachers and parents of these students. The study collected data from 28 inclusion students with special needs, 28 parents of these students, and 28 teachers. We obtained data using semi-structured interview forms. The analysis of the data obtained was done using the content analysis technique. As a result of the research, it was found that the wishes of inclusive students regarding school/class were collected in four themes: arrangements in teaching, lessons and environment, and positive attitudes. In addition, it was determined that the requests of the inclusion students from their parents regarding the school/class consisted of three themes: arrangements in the lessons and environment and positive attitudes, and their complaints consisted of two themes: peer bullying and social acceptance. In light of the research findings, it is recommended to conduct advanced research based on having inclusion students write stories about the school/class, keeping a diary, and collecting the information they convey to their close circle in order to determine the ideal school of their dreams. Keywords: Ideal school, Mainstreaming, Parent, Special children, Student, Teacher. Citation | Deniz, S., & Karabulut, R. (2024). The ideal school for mainstreaming students’ dreams. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 10(2), 110–117. 10.20448/edu.v10i2.5735 History: Received: 20 March 2024 Revised: 10 May 2024 Accepted: 23 May 2024 Published: 21 June 2024 Licensed: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License Publisher: Asian Online Journal Publishing Group Funding: This study received no specific financial support. Institutional Review Board Statement: The Ethical Committee of the Kayseri University, Turkey has granted approval for this study on 5 May 2023 (Ref. No. 33/2023). Transparency: The authors confirm that the manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study; that no vital features of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained. This study followed all ethical practices during writing. Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ Contributions: Both authors contributed equally to the conception and design of the study. Both authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................... 111 2. Method ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 112 3. Findings ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 113 4. Discussion ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 115 5. Results .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 116 6. Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................................................... 116 References ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 117 mailto:serdaldeniz1@gmail.com mailto:ridvan_karabulut@yahoo.com https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://www.doi.org/10.20448/edu.v10i2.5735 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6606-9308 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6682-2520 Asian Journal of Education and Training, 2024, 10(2): 110-117 111 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group Contribution of this paper to the literature This paper aims to make a significant contribution to the literature by identifying and developing the ideal schools and classrooms that students with special needs aspire to. In addition to providing information for teachers, families, and administrators about the wishes of students receiving inclusive education regarding the ideal school and classroom, this research will provide guidance for improving schools and classrooms. 1. Introduction The Turkish Language Institute characterizes a school as an environment where students and staff collectively engage in various forms of education and training. Schools play a crucial role in the socialization of students today, serving as effective platforms for individuals to learn and absorb the culture of their society. For children to develop desired behaviors and become more open to the outside world, schools are also crucial institutions. Schools provide children with more opportunities to interact with the external environment. Each other's influence shapes their personalities. It is evident that schools significantly contribute to both education and the development and socialization of children. In recent years, "How should the school be?" has been a frequently discussed topic (Özdemir & Akkaya, 2013). This question raises concepts such as effective school, good school, and ideal school, prompting us to pursue them. Families are on a mission to find the perfect school for their school-aged children. In this quest, they try to identify schools that are safe for their children and where they can receive a good education. As a result of long searches by families to find the ideal school for their children, it has been observed that they prefer institutions that do not pose a threat in terms of positive references and security. Furthermore, it is well-known that families favor schools that support their children's development, strive to equip them with knowledge and skills, are adaptable, and foster democratic environments with effective communication skills. It is also known that many factors such as transportation, physical structure of the school, teacher staff, graduate students, qualifications of administrators, availability of classes, classroom equipment, school facilities, etc. are also effective (Campbell, Matestic, von Stauffenberg, Mohan, & Kirchner, 2007; Nartgün & Kaya, 2016). When we look at the research conducted about the ideal school, it is noteworthy that there are many national and international studies. Simmons, Graham, and Thomas (2015) who investigated how well-being is understood and facilitated in Australian schools, conducted a mixed-methods study with 606 students aged 6 to 17, including semi-structured focus group interviews that asked students to imagine, draw, and discuss an ideal school that improves their well-being. They determined that students especially emphasized 'having a say' as per the qualitative data and that it is important to adopt more democratic, participatory, and inclusive approaches towards change and development in schools. Kangas (2010) conducted a study to determine how children in Finland described their ideal school and learning environment, and he asked ninety-three students between the ages of ten and twelve to write a story about the school they would be happy to attend. The analysis of the stories revealed that students desire an ideal school and learning environment that prioritizes physical well-being, environmental comfort, educational and cultural well-being, socio-emotional well-being, the joy of learning, and the pursuit of dreams and innovations. Günal and Demirtasli (2016) aimed to determine the perceptions of secondary school students towards the effectiveness of their schools in terms of effective school characteristics such as "Safe and Orderly Environment", "High Academic Expectations", "Teaching Leadership", "Learning Opportunities" and they determined that high academic expectations play an important role, that there are meaningful results related to a safe and orderly environment, that teachers and students should feel safe, that the physical structure of the school is important, and that a positive school-family relationship is effective.. School and family members are important basic elements that complement each other in children's education. The child, family, and school triangle begins with the children attending school and continues for many years. Each of these stakeholders is critical to the formation of ideal schools and has different responsibilities. Teachers are the primary agents of educational activities in schools. With their professional expertise, they have a very important task: managing classroom activities and providing guidance to students (Dös, 2013). In an ideal school, teachers should always support students and help them form their own ideas. Additionally, keeping materials ready and plentiful at school, creating an environment where students can meet and feel safe, providing opportunities to work together, and facilitating students' access to technology are among the activities teachers can do for an ideal school. In short, teachers should care about their students' learning and adapt their teaching to meet their needs (Nunn, 2014; Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2005). It is known that parents' attitudes and behaviors towards their children in supporting their education also affect children's school success. Family participation in education has been shown to enhance student development and academic achievement (Çelenk, 2003). Meanwhile, if families do not participate, teacher performance and motivation are negatively affected, causing behavioral and disciplinary problems and academic failures in students (Argon & Kıyıcı, 2012). It is known that family participation in education affects the child's psychosocial development as well as that of his friends and other social relationships. In addition, it has positive effects on the child's adaptation to his environment. School is one of the most important institutions for a child. It is known that schools, as educational institutions, are in a superior position compared to other social institutions in shaping people's behavior and bringing about the desired changes. This shows that cooperation between school, family, student, and teacher is important, inevitable, and necessary for an ideal school. Similar to many stakeholders, students should have a voice in shaping the ideal school environment, as their perspectives can shed light on situations that other stakeholders may overlook. Moreover, the information obtained from students about how they feel in the school environment and how they perform in the learning process will contribute to learning about the ideal school environment. However, previous studies have indicated that students, who were once considered the most basic elements of schools, have not received much attention in this regard (Aydoğdu, 2008; Bland & Sharma-Brymer, 2012). Examining the field reveals that ideal schools should consider students' ideas and encourage cooperation and support among administrators, families, and teachers. It has been observed that mainstreaming education, which began to be applied in many countries in the last quarter of the century, has become widespread and adopted throughout the world. Mainstreaming education is an application that includes providing the necessary support to students with special needs inside and outside the Asian Journal of Education and Training, 2024, 10(2): 110-117 112 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group classroom. It allows them to participate in education with their peers (Kargın, 2004; Sucuoğlu & Kargın, 2006). In short, mainstreaming education covers the education of students with special needs together with their peers without separating them from society. However, successful mainstreaming education necessitates the acceptance, understanding, and attention to students' individual differences, encompassing physical, cognitive, academic, social, and emotional aspects. In the field, there are many studies related to mainstreaming education. It is observed that the majority of them are related to the attitudes, opinions, suggestions, and existing situations related to the mainstreaming of administrators, teachers, students with normal development, and parents with special needs children (Batu, Cüre, Gövercin, & Keskin, 2018). Ellery (2019) conducted research on mainstreaming students in the international literature to understand the perspectives and requirements of special needs students about their classroom experiences, focusing on four students with special needs. Opie and Southcott (2018) investigated the secondary education experiences of a visually impaired mainstreaming student. Dimitrellou and Male (2020) conducted their studies in order to determine the needs of thirty-seven students with different special needs in inclusive education. Boer and Kuijper (2021), on the other hand, focused their studies on the difficulties experienced by seventy-two students with special needs at school, how students can get support, and how students evaluate the impact of this support. In addition, Chevallier-Rodrigues, Savournin, Courtinat-Camps, Brossais, and de Léonardis (2022) aimed to identify the obstacles and facilitators related to the implementation of mainstreaming education with twelve students, while Thompson and Timmons (2017) conducted their research in order to highlight the positive aspects, strengths, and best practices of mainstreaming learning. Although there are studies conducted with students with special needs related to mainstreaming education in the international literature, there has not been a study to determine the ideal schools or classes dreamed of by mainstreaming students. In Turkey, Gül and Vuran (2015) conducted research with fourteen students diagnosed with mental disabilities and learning difficulties. They focused on the views of students with special needs attending regular classes on the application of mainstreaming and the problems they face. Sezgin Elbir and Taymaz Sarı (2022) conducted research in order to determine the opinions of twelve secondary school students with special learning disabilities who received mainstreaming education regarding their school life. Yekta (2010) aimed to describe the views of mentally disabled students who continue to practice mainstreaming in their educational lives. This research was conducted with twenty-eight students who continue to practice mainstreaming in special education and general education classes in elementary schools. Girli and Atasoy (2012) conducted a study to determine the opinions of twenty primary school students diagnosed with learning disabilities and autism who continue mainstream education regarding their school life, friendship relationships, and problems in the teaching process. Eser (2019) investigated the opinions and suggestions of students with special needs and their teachers in secondary education about mainstreaming practices with six students with hearing impairments. Mete (2020) conducted research to identify the problems of 12 students studying in a mainstream classroom environment in a high school and to provide solutions to these problems. Other than these studies, Turkey has not conducted any research to identify the ideal school or classroom for mainstreaming students. This research was carried out in order to determine the ideal school in the dreams of mainstreaming students and is limited to the data obtained from mainstreaming students, their families, and teachers. The research was carried out with the participation of students with mild special needs who continue mainstreaming education and have no problems understanding and answering the questions asked, as well as their teachers and parents. The significance of the research stems from the scarcity of existing literature on this topic. In addition, there are no studies in the literature that directly refer to the ideas of mainstreaming students and analyze the requests and complaints that mainstreaming students have told their teachers and parents about the school. Therefore, it is believed that this study is crucial for identifying the ideal schools that mainstream students aspire to attend and will make a significant contribution to the field. Furthermore, we anticipate that emphasizing the requests, suggestions, and complaints of mainstreaming students will reinforce the significance of mainstreaming education in the literature. 2. Method The study was carried out using phenomenology, one of the qualitative research models. Qualitative research is a research method in which different qualitative data creation methods such as observation, interview, and document analysis are used, and a qualitative process is followed to present perspectives, perceptions, and events in a realistic and holistic manner in the natural environment (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2013). Phenomenology focuses on phenomena that we are aware of but do not have a detailed and deep understanding of. In this study, the phenomenology technique was used in order to reveal the themes related to the ideal school in the dreams of mainstreaming students, as it is aimed to reveal the thoughts of mainstreaming students and the wishes and complaints they convey to their teachers and parents about the school or class by examining them impartially, in detail, and in depth. 2.1. Study Group The participants of the study were selected by the purposeful sampling method. The purposeful sampling method has been chosen since it allows in-depth study of situations that are considered to have substantial information. The study group consists of students with special needs, as well as their parents and teachers, who have been continuing their mainstreaming practices for three years or more. The participants had to be: 1) a student with special needs who continues to practice mainstreaming; 2) a teacher of a student with special needs who continues mainstreaming; and 3) a parent of a student with special needs who continues mainstreaming. The study involved mainstreaming secondary school students from Kayseri, Konya, and Yozgat provinces, along with their respective teachers and parents. The research involved the participation of 28 mainstreaming students with special needs, their respective parents, and teachers. Table 1 shows the demographic characteristics of the participants. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 2024, 10(2): 110-117 113 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group Table 1. Demographic characteristics of the participants. Demographic characteristics Mainstreaming students Parents Teachers Number of participants 28 28 28 Female 11 21 22 Male 17 7 6 Age ranges 11-15 years 38-58 years 25-50 years Grade Between 5 and 8. Duration of mainstreaming 3-7 years Twenty-two female and six male teachers, as well as twenty-one female and seven male parents of mainstreaming students, participated in the research. In addition, a total of twenty-eight mainstreaming students with six specific learning disabilities, five mild mental disabilities, five attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, four bodily disabilities, three visual impairments, three hearing impairments, and two mild autism spectrum disorder diagnoses participated in the study. 2.2. Data Collection Tool Data were collected from 1) students with special needs who continue to practice mainstreaming, 2) teachers of students with special needs who continue mainstreaming, and 3) parents of students with special needs who continue mainstreaming through semi-structured interview forms. The researchers primarily prepared semi-structured interview form questions for mainstreaming students, their families, and teachers as part of the development of the data collection tools. In order to evaluate the semi-structured interview forms, the opinions of three academic experts in the field of assessment and evaluation were obtained. The opinions and suggestions of the academic experts were taken into consideration, and arrangements were made for semi-structured interview forms. The researchers asked the questions in the semi-structured interview forms to three mainstreaming students, their parents, and teachers, and conducted a pilot study by evaluating the obtained data. As a result of the data obtained from the pilot study, the semi-structured interview forms were re-evaluated, and final preparations were made for use in the research. In the study, it was decided to ask the following questions to the participants. Questions directed to mainstreaming students: 1) What do you think 'school/class' should be like? Please specify. Questions directed to the parents of mainstreaming students: 1) What are the wishes of your child in mainstreaming education about school/class from you? 2) What are the complaints of your child in mainstreaming education about the school/class? Questions directed to the teachers of mainstreaming students: 1) What are the wishes of your students in mainstreaming education about school/class from you? 2) What are the complaints of your students in mainstreaming education about the school/class? 2.3. Data Collection The data for this study were collected in a quiet environment where the participants would feel comfortable and at an hour they wanted. Among the participants, the answers of the mainstreaming students took between twelve and seventeen minutes, the answers of the parents took between fourteen and twenty-one minutes, and the answer of the teachers took between ten and fifteen minutes. 2.4. Data Analysis The analysis of the data in the research was carried out using the content analysis technique. The basic process in content analysis is to decipher similar data in a way that the reader can understand by bringing them together within the framework of certain concepts and themes (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2013). In content analysis, the data were analyzed first, and a code was given to each section. Then, categories were created from the codes according to the similarities and differences between them. Finally, themes were determined according to the relationships between the categories and the meanings they carry. A word, sentence, or paragraph assigns a code to significant sections and events within the data. A category is the classification of concepts determined in content analysis under a certain theme with each other. Theme means the upper concepts created from categories, a conceptual framework, or a theoretical structure (Baltacı, 2019). Codes, categories, and themes were obtained from the data in this research and are given in tables in the results section. In this study, the consistency between coders was calculated in order to determine reliability. Firstly, interview questions were taken as a basis, and the interview coding key was prepared. In order to determine the reliability of the interview coding key, two semi-structured interview forms were selected and reproduced by means of a random method. Then, the interview was evaluated independently by the researchers along with the coding key. The researchers checked the answers given to each question and made markings in the form of "Agreement" and "Disagreement." In this study, Agreement percentage was calculated using the formula "Reliability = Agreement / (Agreement + Disagreement) x 100" in order to determine reliability in content analysis (Miles & Huberiiian, 1994). The percentage of consistency in the coding was calculated as 0.85 using this formula. In addition, participant confirmation was carried out in order to determine whether the study findings accurately reflected their own thoughts. The findings of the study were read to three mainstream students, three parents, and three teachers participating in the study. According to the feedback received from the participants, it was confirmed that the research findings were compatible with the participants' own thoughts. 3. Findings In order to determine the ideal school in the dreams of mainstreaming students, the data obtained regarding the following questions is presented in tables in the findings section of the research: 1) What do you think 'school/class' should be like? Asian Journal of Education and Training, 2024, 10(2): 110-117 114 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 2) What are their wishes that they told their parents about school/class? 3) What are their complaints that they told their parents about school/class? 4) What are their wishes that they told their teachers about school/class? 5) What are their complaints that they told their teachers about school/class? The results of the analysis of the data obtained related to the question directed at mainstreaming students: 'What do you think the school/class should be like?' are provided in Table 2. Table 2. The thoughts of the mainstreaming students about how the school/classroom should be. Code Category Theme Courses should be taught through games. Teaching should be done through sports. Exam times should be short. The exam questions should be simple. Changes in teaching Changes in assessment and evaluation Arrangements in teaching Course times should be short. The number of academic courses should be limited. There should be more sports classes. There should be technology/Digital courses. The number of events should be increased. Recess periods should be long. Materials should be plentiful. There should be musical rooms and instruments. There must be game rooms. There should be playgrounds and parks. There should be laboratories. There should be a swimming pool. There should be workshops. There should be big libraries. Classes should be large. The school/Classes should be clean. The number of cafeterias should be increased. There should be school trips. Changes in courses Diversity in courses Entertaining events Changes in the school/Classroom Arrangements in courses Arrangements in the environment Teachers should be interested, respectful, and caring. Peers should be interested, respectful, and caring. There should be opportunities for them to express themselves. All students should be equal. There should be no discrimination. There should be no peer bullying. There should be no peer exclusion. Peers should be friends with us. Positive teacher relationships Positive peer relationships Equality in the school/Classroom Positive attitudes Table 2 presents four themes derived from the answers given by mainstream students to the question of how the school should be, including arrangements and positive attitudes in teaching, courses, and the environment. Table 3 contains the findings obtained from the answers to the question, 'What are the wishes of your child in mainstream education about school/class from you?' directed to the parents of mainstream students. Table 3. The wishes of the mainstreaming students about the school/class that they told their parents. Code Category Theme Reducing the number of courses Increasing the number of sports courses Increasing technology/Digital tool courses Simplification of exams Changes in courses Changes in assessment and evaluation Arrangements in courses Extension of recess periods Increasing the number of materials Increasing the number of events Increasing the number of playgrounds and parks Having playrooms in schools Entertaining events Arrangements in the environment Teachers should be understanding. Peers should be understanding. Being included in events Being included in games Positive teacher relationships Positive peer relationships Being accepted Positive attitudes Table 3 presents three themes, namely, arrangements in courses, arrangements in the environment, and positive attitudes among the wishes of the mainstreaming students related to the school/classroom that they told their parents. Table 4 contains the findings obtained from the answers to the question 'What are the complaints of your child in mainstreaming education about the school/class?' directed to the parents of mainstreaming students. Table 4. The complaints of the mainstreaming students about the school/class that they told their parents. Code Category Theme Exclusion by peers Disrespectful behavior by peers Verbal insults by peers Communication problems with peers Not having the right to speak among peers. Indifference by peers Indifference among teachers Peer pressure General indifference Peer bullying Social acceptance Asian Journal of Education and Training, 2024, 10(2): 110-117 115 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group Table 4 presents two themes among the school/classroom complaints that the mainstreaming students told parents, namely peer bullying and social acceptance. Table 5 contains the findings obtained from the answers to the question, 'What are the wishes of your students in mainstreaming education about the school/class?' directed to the teachers of mainstreaming students. Table 5. The wishes of the mainstreaming students about the school/Class that they told their teachers. Code Category Theme Not being subjected to peer bullying Not being made fun of by peers Peers are aware of them. Being accepted by peers Not being excluded at events Not being excluded from games Playing games together with peers Participating in events together with peers Being understood by peers Being in harmony with peers Getting attention from peers Positive peer relationships Peer acceptance Feeling safe Feeling a sense of belonging to the class Being able to express their feelings more comfortably. Being able to express themselves better. Having the right to speak Social trust Freedom of expression Sense of belonging Simplification of courses Teaching the courses in the form of games Making the courses fun Using plenty of materials in courses Having long recess periods Increasing the number of playgrounds and parks Changes in teaching Entertaining events Arrangements in teaching Arrangements in the environment Table 5 presents four themes among the wishes of mainstreaming students about the school/classroom that they told teachers, namely peer acceptance, sense of belonging, arrangements in teaching, and arrangements in the environment. Table 6 contains the findings obtained from the answers to the question, 'What are the complaints of your students in mainstreaming education about the school/class?' directed to the teachers of mainstreaming students. Table 6. The complaints of the mainstreaming students about the school/class that they told their teachers. Code Category Theme Exclusion by peers Being made fun of by peers Verbal insults by peers Disrespectful behavior by peers Discrimination by peers Not being accepted by peers Peer pressure Peer bullying Indifference by peers Indifference of their families Indifference of teachers Not having the right to speak Not being included in games Not being included in events General indifference Equality in the school/Classroom Social acceptance Table 6 presents two themes among the school/classroom complaints that the mainstreaming students told their teachers, namely peer bullying and social acceptance. 4. Discussion Thirty codes have been found related to the question 'How should the school/classroom be' directed to mainstream students. These codes were collected into nine categories, and ultimately four themes were reached. These themes encompass teaching arrangements, course arrangements, environmental arrangements, and positive attitudes. The research findings indicate that mainstreaming students are seeking adjustments to the teaching process. These arrangements pertain to the instruction of courses, as well as assessment and evaluation. This finding shows similarities with some of the research results conducted in the field (Eser, 2019; Gül & Vuran, 2015; Mete, 2020). Students in mainstreaming education also desire a course-related arrangement. It was discovered that they had specific requests regarding the length, quantity, and diversity of courses offered. It has been observed that mainstreaming students also want a number of changes to be made in the school/classroom with the educational environment. These changes include the provision of materials, musical rooms and instruments, playgrounds, playrooms, parks, laboratories, swimming pools, workshops, large libraries, spacious and clean classrooms, as well as an increase in the number of cafeterias. This finding is in line with the research results in the field, which suggest that changes should be made regarding the physical environment as well (Eser, 2019; Sezgin Elbir & Taymaz Sarı, 2022). In addition, this finding has been interpreted as meaning that the mainstreaming students want some changes to be made in the school/classroom environment and that they have dreams about the environment. Another of the wishes of special needs students in mainstream education is related to the fact that there should be positive attitudes Asian Journal of Education and Training, 2024, 10(2): 110-117 116 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group towards them. Mainstreaming students want their peers and teachers to build positive relationships with them, especially in school and in the classroom. This finding is similar to the results of many studies conducted in the field (Dimitrellou & Male, 2020; Ellery, 2019; Gül & Vuran, 2015; Opie & Southcott, 2018). It is known that many parents, teachers, and peers with normal development express their sympathies and positive feelings about students with special needs while at the same time exhibiting negative attitudes towards inclusion students for various reasons. These findings suggest that students who are mainstreamed believe they should have positive attitudes towards themselves. Thirteen codes, six categories, and three themes have been obtained from these codes related to the question "What are the wishes of your students in mainstreaming education about the school/class?" These themes include course arrangements, environmental arrangements, and positive attitudes. It has been observed that the results of the answers given by the special needs students in mainstream education to the question 'What do you think the school/class should be like’ directed at them are similar to the findings obtained from the requests of their families about the school/class. Observations reveal that mainstream students aspire to reduce the number of courses, enhance sports and technology/digital tool courses, and streamline exams. Additionally, they expressed their desire to their families to enhance the availability of recess periods, materials, activities, playgrounds, game rooms, and parks within the educational environment. Moreover, the fact that they have indicated to their parents that they expect there to be positive attitudes towards them by their teachers, especially their peers, indicates that they imagine there to be positive attitudes towards them in school/classroom. Based on the complaints made by the mainstreaming students to their families about the school/classroom, seven codes, two categories, and two themes have been obtained. These two themes are social acceptance and peer bullying. The field studies (Boer, Pijl, Post, & Minnaert, 2013; Koster, Pijl, Nakken, & Van Houten, 2010; Symes & Humphrey, 2011) largely align with the complaints mainstreaming students make to their families about peer bullying and societal acceptance. It has been observed that mainstreaming students have complaints about exclusion by their peers, disrespectful behavior, verbal insults, communication problems, not being given the right to speak, and indifference by their teachers. These findings show similarities with some research results (Boer & Kuijper, 2021; Eser, 2019; Girli & Atasoy, 2012; Opie & Southcott, 2018; Yekta, 2010). It is known that students with special needs face significantly increased incidents of pressure, harassment, and restrictions in schools. Conducting studies to increase awareness and change this condition can make mainstreaming education more successful and useful. It has been determined that the requests of the mainstreaming students from their teachers related to the school/classroom consist of twenty-two codes, five categories, and four themes. These themes include peer acceptance, a sense of belonging, and arrangements in both the classroom and the environment. It has been seen that the wishes of the mainstreaming students from their teachers about the school/classroom are similar to their own wishes and the wishes of their families to have arrangements in the teaching and environment. These findings can be interpreted as a wish for mainstreaming students to make arrangements in the teaching and environment related to the school/classroom. One of the requests made by the mainstream students to their teachers pertains to peer acceptance. In this finding, it comes to mind that one of the ideal dreams of mainstreaming students related to school/classroom is related to peer acceptance, both because the students stated it in their own wishes and similarly stated it to their parents and teachers. Students seeking mainstreaming from their teachers also express a desire for a sense of belonging. Researchers have discovered that mainstreaming students yearn for a sense of safety, a sense of belonging to the class, the ability to express their feelings more comfortably, and the right to speak. In this finding, it has been interpreted that mainstreaming students have dreams about belonging in their schools/classrooms. Twelve codes, three categories, and two themes were reached from the complaints of the mainstreaming students to their teachers about the school/classroom. These two themes are social acceptance and peer bullying. Students observe social acceptance and peer bullying in their own thoughts and wishes, as well as in their complaints to their parents and teachers. This finding has also been interpreted as the fact that mainstreaming students have dreams such as the absence of peer bullying in schools and classrooms and acceptance in society. It has been observed in the research findings that the wishes and their complaints of students with special needs in mainstream education about the ideal school/classroom in their dreams, their wishes, and complaints to their parents and teachers are similar. These findings suggest that taking into account the wishes and complaints of mainstreaming students could potentially enhance the quality of education and training provided to them. 5. Results It has been found in this research that the wishes of the mainstreaming students related to the school/classroom were comprised of four themes: arrangements in education, arrangements in lectures, arrangements in the environment, and positive attitudes. It has been determined that the wishes of the mainstreaming students from their parents were comprised of three themes: arrangements in lectures, arrangements in the environment, and positive attitudes, and their complaints consisted of two themes: peer bullying and social acceptance. It has been further deduced that the wishes of the mainstreaming students from their teachers were also comprised of four themes: peer acceptance, sense of belonging, arrangements in education, and arrangements in the environment. Their complaints consisted of two themes: peer bullying and social acceptance. Based on the research findings, it has been concluded that mainstreaming students dreamed of being accepted by their peers and teachers in schools and classrooms, feeling a sense of belonging to the school/class, some arrangements in the teaching process, lessons, and their environment, and not being bullied by their peers. 6. Recommendations In order to determine the ideal school in the dreams of mainstreaming students, it is recommended to conduct advanced research by writing stories about the school/classroom, keeping a diary, and collecting the information they transmit to their immediate environment. However, it is recommended to increase the training and research aimed at raising the awareness of administrators, teachers, students, and families about the importance of mainstreaming education. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 2024, 10(2): 110-117 117 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group References Argon, T., & Kıyıcı, C. (2012). 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