This qualitative case study analysis explored the perspectives of two middle school students with learning disabilities in an inclusionary classroom and how those experiences connected with Lev S. Vygotsky's (1987) cognitive theory of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of belongingness of two students transitioning from a self-contained reading and mathematics classroom to a co-teaching classroom for the first time in a South Texas urban middle school. Moreover, the study explored the critical role of social learning and the impact those experiences have on a child with learning disabilities academic progress and future potential.

The data revealed that the participants' experiences in similar co-teaching classrooms differed greatly despite similar dynamics and collaborative learning opportunities. Each of the participants yielded different outcomes largely due to how they identified their sense of belonging, their level of engagement in extending their ZPD, and their ability to engage in collaborative learning opportunities with peers. Thus, the study speaks to the critical role of social learning and the impact it can have on students' academic performance and contributes to existing literature on co-teaching and inclusionary learning.