Teacher′s Feedback and Social Integration: Is there a Link between Social Referencing Theory and Social Integration in School

Due to the incipient development towards inclusive education, the German school system is facing severe changes. One of the core issues therein is the social integration of children with special educational needs. Several national and international studies suggest that the social integration of these children seems to be less satisfactory put into practice than initially intended. Based on social referencing theory the present paper develops an alternative model of social integration in school that emphasizes teachers’ relevance for integration process. A cross-section study with 296 pupils suggests that teachers valuation and teachers valuation as perceived by classmates could in fact influence social integration of a single student in everyday school life.