Perceived Fairness of Exam Accommodations for Students with Special Educational Needs

Implementing an inclusive school means that teachers should use exam accommodations to foster the participation of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN). However, due to the emphasis on merit in most school systems, this practice can create a dilemma between equality and equity that can influence the perceived fairness. Three studies (N = 1,525) aimed to examine this question on different types of accommodations (e.g., extra time, oral exam, a scribe, a computer, or exemption). Results indicate a differentiated perception of accommodations in terms of fairness but also comparability. In addition, the more teachers believe assessment should support student learning, the more they perceive exam accommodations as allowing comparisons of students’ performance, and the fairer they perceived accommodations. Therefore, while exam accommodations are intended to support students with SEN to demonstrate their abilities and promote equity, the present findings suggest that it might have counterproductive effects that we should consider.