ABSTRACT In England, legislation outlines that disabled children and young people should primarily be educated within mainstream provision. Nevertheless, limitations remain in how disabled children and young people experience mainstream educational spaces, particularly those with socio‐emotional and behavioural differences. Situated in disabled children's childhood studies, we explore disabled children's and young people's relational agency as an important element in the production of inclusive spaces and practices. We draw from a qualitative ONS (Office for National Statistics) study of disabled children's and young people's (aged 11 to 16) accounts of their education, and that of their parents/carers. We argue that networks of care‐less or care‐full practices (a distinction we draw from Lithari and Rogers) emerge in the interactions between disabled children's and young people's identity self‐management, school practices, the attitudes of different actors and the material spaces of their schools.

ABSTRACT To understand in greater depth the potential impact of Forest School (FS) on emotional well-being, behaviour, and mental health/neurodevelopmental symptoms in the context of special educational needs, we conducted a case study of one 10-year-old boy, ‘Matthew’ (not the child’s real name). Matthew was in mainstream education in the U.K. and participated in weekly FS sessions for one afternoon per week over two school terms (24 weeks). We conducted interviews with Matthew, his parent, and class teacher and gathered short-text notes recorded by a member of the research team who observed Matthew at two FS sessions per term. We also collected quantitative data on self-rated health-related Quality of Life (HR-QoL), teacher-rated emotional difficulties, hyperactivity-inattentiveness, peer problems, conduct problems, pro-social behaviours, and parent-rated mood and anxiety. A mixed-methods approach was used, which involved thematic analysis of interview data and researcher observational notes, with quantitative data from questionnaires. Results revealed three qualitative themes of ‘Possibilities’, ‘Space & Time’, and ‘Visibility’ which included further sub-themes. Matthew’s Forest School experience provided an opportunity for skill development and autonomy that contributed towards personal growth and pride, and an appreciation of the environment as a place of peace where he could escape and self-soothe. His attendance at FS offered Matthew the possibility of reinvention and discovering a new self. This aligned with improvements in Matthew’s self-rated HR-QoL during FS, but his class-teacher saw fewer improvements quantitatively, suggesting that the benefits and experiences observed at FS may not have translated to the typical classroom setting.

Introduction: Inclusive practice in schools is championed through Scottish policy, with most young people with additional support needs being educated in mainstream provisions (Audit Scotland, 2025). There is limited literature on using strengths-based approaches and meaningfully involving young people to understand what supports their inclusion in the Scottish education context (NAIT, 2021; Petersson-Bloom & Holmqvist, 2022). The current research aimed to address these gaps by utilising a participatory design, with secondary aged young people in mainstream education, to understand what supports them to be their best selves at school. A secondary aim being to evaluate and reflect on the use participatory research methods. Methods: The authors upskilled six young co-researchers to collaborate in: shaping the project’s research question; methods of data collection; undertaking data collection; thematic analysis and dissemination stages. Interviews and podcasts exploring what had worked to support young people’s secondary experience, led by both neurotypical professionals and neurodivergent co-researchers, were collaboratively recorded and thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2019) methodology. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the participatory research process. Results and implications for practice: Co-researchers’ experiences of secondary school could be grouped under three main themes and several subthemes therein. Features such as Social Supports, Wellbeing Supports, and a helpful Adult Approach were named as critical protective factors for sustainable inclusion in secondary school. Authors reflections on the participatory design of the research are shared, including the degrees to which young people were involved throughout the project, barriers to meaningful participation and factors which support co-production.

Autism, as a neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex etiology, continues to be a priority area of multidisciplinary research. Current evidence indicates a complex interaction between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors that contribute to the heterogeneous manifestation of the autism spectrum. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by: (1) impairments in the quality of communication and social interactions, and (2) restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities. In Romania, data collected by the Help Autism Association on individuals registered with social assistance services as of July 1, 2021, show the following: 13,992 children (ages 0–18) were diagnosed with ASD, of whom: 6,152 were enrolled in mainstream education, 3,446 were in special education, and 4,394 were not enrolled in any form of education. Additionally, 1,095 individuals with ASD exited social services in the last two years after reaching the age of 18. Early screening of young children is crucial for the timely detection of ASD, as various atypical behaviors often become apparent before the age of 3. These may include hand-flapping (similar to waving a flag), self-biting, head-banging, and other repetitive or self-injurious behaviors. Parental and caregiver education plays a critical role in the early identification and long-term management of ASD. Among the evidence-based interventions currently showing positive outcomes are: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), verbal behavior therapy, and animal-assisted therapy. Some studies have demonstrated that improvements in social communication and social cognition remained significant at both 8 weeks and 6 months after the end of therapeutic interventions. Although the etiology of autism is not yet fully understood, advances in the field are evident and essential for improving the quality of life of affected children, who cannot be held responsible for the onset of this neurobiological disorder.

This study presents the one-year follow-up in grade 3 of two randomized controlled interventions, addressing phonics and numeracy targeting children at-risk for early reading or mathematics difficulties. The participants (n = 130) had been part of two intervention studies including 21 Swedish elementary schools. Results show that the post-test advantage of the intervention groups had faded for most outcome measures. A significant difference between groups sustained only for conceptual knowledge in the mathematics intervention group and for the speeded reading test in the reading intervention group. These results raise questions about the integration of rigorous interventions into mainstream education. Furthermore, the study pinpoints the importance of longitudinal intervention research and conditions to make special education interventions sustainable.

ABSTRACT This study analysed the challenges faced by teachers in implementing Sign Language regulatory frameworks in Zimbabwean special schools for the Deaf. The research employed an interpretive paradigm, qualitative approach, and a phenomenological case study design, utilising in-depth interviews, semi-structured interviews, and non-participant observation with 29 participants, who comprised 17 grade 1–3 specialist teachers of learners who are Deaf, four school heads of the four special schools, four district school inspectors and four school psychologists. Data collected was analysed using thematic analysis, which involved coding the qualitative data to identify patterns and themes relevant to the research questions. The findings revealed several key challenges. Firstly, Deaf learners entered schools with various forms of home sign language, and teachers lacked proficiency in the formal Zimbabwean Sign Language (ZSL), leading to communication barriers. The status and functions assigned to Sign Language often relegated it to a subordinate role and negatively impacted its implementation. Teachers also lacked adequate training and competencies in using ZSL as the medium of instruction, frequently preferring total communication methods that prioritised oral language over the visual-gestural language of Deaf learners. While oralism can provide Deaf learners with better access to mainstream education and social opportunities, it may not be effective for profoundly Deaf learners who may struggle to develop speech skills. There was ambiguity surrounding the official status of ZSL as a mother tongue language in the curriculum, and a lack of resources and support from relevant authorities hindered the effective implementation of the Sign Language regulatory frameworks.

Abstract In Poland, children with migration experience do not formally have any difficulties in accessing mainstream education. They can benefit from it on the same terms as children of Polish citizens. However, their educational successes and school integration largely depend on the systemic solutions of Polish education, the preparation of teachers to work with students from other cultures and the support received from peers. This text is of a review and synthesizing nature. Its aim is to organize and discuss selected threads present in the literature on the subject, and in Polish law, regarding support for students with migration experience in the education system. We indicate formal solutions, issues related to teacher preparation and support provided by peers, so-called peer mentoring. We supplement the theoretical aspects with the results of research conducted in this area by various institutions and propose some practical ideas that can be implemented in the school environment on the basis of peer-mentoring programme Better Together.

Mainstream education involves integrating students with special needs into regular classrooms, where they learn alongside their peers and receive tailored support. This study examines the challenges faced by primary school teachers in Gilgit-Baltistan when educating students with special needs in mainstream classrooms. A quantitative research design was employed, using a structured questionnaire to collect data from 115 teachers across Gilgit and Skardu, selected through purposive sampling. The findings highlight several key challenges, including difficulties in adapting teaching methods, a lack of training and professional development, insufficient resources, large class sizes, emotional stress, and inadequate support from parents and administrators. Teachers in remote areas reported more severe challenges due to resource scarcity and infrastructure deficits. The study suggests that targeted policy interventions, improved teacher training, and better resource allocation are crucial to enhancing inclusive education in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Canada projects itself as a land of opportunity, embracing inclusivity and multiculturalism in both education and broader societal discourse. However, this ideological framework obscures the realities of race and institutional racism, failing to address persistent inequities experienced by Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities, including immigrants and refugees. In early childhood education, dominant discourses of diversity and color blindness reinforce the notion that young children are racially innocent and unaffected by race. Yet, reconceptualist early childhood scholars demonstrate that by ages three to four, children develop racial awareness, identification, and attitudes, positioning themselves within racial hierarchies. This recognition underscores the enduring and systemic nature of racism embedded in both formal and informal educational settings. This paper explores innovative anti-racist educational approaches that extend beyond individual and interpersonal racism to challenge structural and systemic inequities within educational institutions. Centering marginalized critical theories, including Indigenous epistemologies, Critical Race Theory, and critical pedagogy, frameworks often overlooked in mainstream early childhood education, we highlight transformative pedagogies and practices that disrupt racism and advance equity in diverse educational contexts.

The swift development of digital technologies has brought Industry 4.0 to life, revolutionizing industrial processes and expectations from the workforce. Along with the evolution of the global IT industry through innovations like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, and cyber-physical systems (CPS), it has become the need of the hour to synchronize workforce skills with these technological requirements. This research investigates the difficulties of IT professionals in Kerala in adopting Industry 4.0, emphasizing determining skill gaps, assessing training effectiveness, and determining organizational readiness. Adopting an exploratory and descriptive research approach, the research surveyed 410 IT professionals from different places of Kerala, a state of India using structured questionnaires. Statistical analysis was done using t-test, ANOVA, Chi-square, correlation, and regression through SPSS and Excel. The results demonstrate a moderate level of awareness of Industry 4.0 concepts but huge disparities in applied skills, especially among middle-career workers. The available academic curriculum and training programs were deemed not to be properly aligned with industry demands. The study highlights the need for cooperation between academia, industry, and government to update training schemes and embed Industry 4.0 technologies in mainstream education. Strategic efforts in skill enhancement, ongoing learning, and curriculum change are required to make Kerala’s IT talent pool competitive and future-fit in the age of digital technology.

With the recent uptrend of personalised learning (PL) coinciding with the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, Singapore has been encouraging the mainstream education to adopt PL by tapping on the AI’s capabilities and potential. Although a Singapore’s vocational education and training (VET) institution had planned to pluralise PL with AI, they recognised that staff might face potential challenges hindering its implementation. A qualitative case study was conducted to explore the feasibility of implementing PL across the institution from the perspective of VET staff. Semi-structured interviews were carried out on six experienced VET staff members from four different faculties to gain insight into their prior knowledge, existing experience and future perspective of PL with AI. Adopting Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the data were sorted based on themes that contradict the notion of pluralising PL with AI. Through abductive reasoning approach, the findings indicated that the division of labour, community and rules contradicted the mass consumption of PL due to the lack of PL pedagogical knowledge from VET staff and the complex setup of various diploma courses in the institution. Additionally, the usage of AI to support or enhance PL and the VET institution’s direction to pluralise PL without thorough research and guidelines was further contradicted by the community and the division of labour. Therefore, this study recommends VET institutions not to pluralise AI PL too early. Instead, VET institutions are recommended to conduct small-scale AI PL to build up use cases and staff confidence prior to institutional wide adoption.

The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) embodies India's extensive intellectual, scientific, cultural, and philosophical legacy, cultivated over thousands of years through experiential learning and native wisdom. It includes a variety of fields such as mathematics, astronomy, medicine, linguistics, the arts, governance, ethics, and environmental sustainability. Incorporating IKS into mainstream education is crucial for reclaiming India's intellectual heritage, nurturing national pride, and establishing a holistic and contextual learning model that meets modern demands. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 offers a timely framework to integrate IKS into the contemporary educational landscape of India. In the present article, the understanding of the Indian Knowledge System and its incorporation in Indian Education have been discussed.

Introduction. Universal access to education requires the use of various pedagogical technologies (including virtual reality technologies), which, when developed, should provide for equal opportunities to ensure the involvement of physically challenged students in physical education programmes. The purpose of the article is to assess the impact of sport classes involving VR simulators on health parameters and environment safety assessment by physically challenged students. Materials and methods. Independent variable: physical education classes conducted in virtual reality; dependent variables: students’ health and safety indicators. Test-takers: 60 randomly selected college students aged 17 to 18, divided into two groups: 30 physically challenged students (attending a special physical education group), and 30 students without disabilities attending the mainstream group. Methods: “Emotional safety of the environment” questionnaire (T.N. Berezina), “Subjective evaluation of health disorders” questionnaire (P.V. Voitenko), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), general vitality questionnaire (G.V. Rezapkina), static balancing, inspiration breath hold. Experimental exposure method: physical education classes using sporting VR simulators (boxing, tennis, shooting, etc.). Mathematical statistics methods: Wilcoxon’s T-test, correlation analysis. KEYWORDS Results. No differences were found in the assessment of emotional safety of the college educational environment by students of the special and the mainstream physical education groups. Correlations were found between health characteristics and those of emotional safety of the educational environment: emotional safety correlates with subjective assessment of diseases (r = –0.56; p< 0.01), duration of inspiration breath hold (r = 0.41; p< 0.05), awareness (r = 0.56; p< 0.01), and overall vitality (r = 0.57; p< 0.01). Virtual reality training leads to increased stress resistance (T = – 1.751; p = 0.045), with a tendency towards increased objective health indicators (static balancing time, duration of inspiration breath hold), and enhanced overall vitality. The evaluation of the emotional safety of the environment by students of the experimental and control groups does not change. Conclusion. Physical training in virtual reality is emotionally safe for physically challenged students and can improve objective and subjective health characteristics.

This paper explores the potential of AI-powered chatbots as transformative tools for advancing inclusive digital education (IDE). Designed to simulate human dialogue and deliver personalized guidance, chatbots provide multimodal access, multilingual support, and continuous assistance. These features make them especially valuable for learners with disabilities (PWDs), who often require alternative pathways to information and adaptive feedback aligned with inclusive design principles. After reviewing different chatbot types, we highlight their educational benefits, such as real-time tutoring, workload reduction for educators, and tailored learner pathways. A snapshot of related work demonstrates early use cases in both mainstream and inclusive education contexts, while also pointing to gaps in research on accessibility for PWDs. A comparative review of existing platforms shows that enterprise-grade solutions excel in governance and accessibility, while generative models offer adaptability but raise concerns of accuracy and explainability. The discussion emphasizes that while AI chatbots hold great promise, challenges remain around bias, inclusivity, privacy, and over-reliance. Future research should investigate sustainable deployment models, safeguards, and integration strategies to ensure that AI chatbots advance inclusive, equitable, and learner-centered education.

ABSTRACT The world is becoming increasingly characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA). How education systems, policies and practices respond to the challenges facing young people and their communities is of critical importance, including questions of pedagogy and curriculum in mainstream and alternative education contexts. Knowing how systems and institutions can address the challenges of a VUCA world is important in striving for justice in educational contexts. This paper draws on a series of reflective dialogues undertaken by members of a newly formed pedagogy research group at a regional Australian university in response to a provocation regarding the place of pedagogy in an uncertain world. In this paper, we provide a range of conceptual and theoretical considerations for pedagogy across diverse disciplinary and educational contexts, which arose through the dialogic process of the group. These are presented here as prompts towards a series of propositions for pedagogical justice in the twenty-first century.

Abstract This literature review highlights Steiner’s holistic view of education, focusing on the balanced growth of intellectual, social-emotional, and physical dimensions through the integration of arts and experiential activities in curriculum and pedagogy. Although considered an alternative education, Steiner’s holistic approaches could be a beneficial model for Vietnam’s mainstream education to learn from, contributing to promote Vietnam’s holistic goal of general education reform. Selected principles—such as experiential learning, integrated arts, respect for individual development, and upholding the important roles of teachers —offer valuable insights for adapting Vietnam’s mainstream education system towards more holistic approaches. Keywords: Holistic education, Steiner education, alternative education, general education reform, Vietnam.

With the establishment of Māori medium education in the 1980s, picturebooks featuring Te Reo Māori have been needed and are increasingly being developed, produced, and used in full immersion and mainstream education in Aotearoa New Zealand. In recent years, the number of bilingual picturebooks featuring Te Reo Māori and English has increased. Improved access to bilingual picturebooks in a society that includes both an Indigenous and colonial language as two of its three official languages is vital to support the status of Te Reo Māori as an official language and to support English speakers learning Te Reo Māori. Studies by Daly ( Dual-Language Picturebooks in Māori and English , 2016, and The Linguistic Landscape of English–Spanish Dual-Language Picturebooks , 2017) have explored the layout of such bilingual picturebooks, suggesting that the order of languages reflects the linguistic hierarchy or relative status of the two languages. Yet, to date, no empirical studies have investigated how designers’ typographic order choices affect readers’ perceptions of the status of languages. In this article, we present the findings from a mixed-methods study of 50 readers’ perceptions of typographic and linguistic hierarchy in pages of bilingual picturebooks when the order of languages was a variable. Results show that order did affect the opinions of readers, and this effect varied depending on the linguistic repertoire of the participants.

Imperatives of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are pushing the margins of children’s educational outcomes and inclusion for neurodevelopmental conditions in mainstream education, gaining traction in modern curriculum reforms. However, the paucity of empirical evidence about children’s diversity and digital competencies for lifelong learning adversely impacts gender equity and social inclusion in African post-pandemic education. Therefore, we examined early childhood teachers’ didactic practices and digital integration for neurodiverse assessment in Ghana’s standards-based education system. A school-based participatory research design was employed with a randomised sampling approach involving 1,307 pupils and 102 teachers from private and public schools. Using an observation protocol with a Likert-type scale, a test of the variance assumption for Kruskal–Wallis and descriptive statistical procedures were explored in the IBM-SPSS package version 23. The results showed children’s digital ecosystem comprising 61% of teachers’ 3-G mobile devices and personal laptops, and 30% computer laboratories with mainstream classrooms accommodating 11 neurodevelopmental disorders, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, autism, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Also, teachers’ tenure had no statistically significant impact on inclusive didactics using educational technology tools to support neurodiverse children’s learning outcomes. Based on our Monte Carlo simulation of significance, the study concluded that early-grade facilitators lack application of digital resources that support children’s creative learning needs and low teacher TPACK didactics in post-pandemic early-grade classrooms. Implications for deepening children’s global learning crisis occasioned by COVID-19 and other contextual factors in marginalised schools are discussed for edtech product design and deep learning for inclusive education from learning scientists’ perspectives.

This study offers an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences and challenges faced by middle school students enrolled in inclusive education programs in rural southwestern Turkey. Unlike previous research that often focuses on policy or teacher perspectives, this study centers student voices, highlighting how they navigate academic, social, and emotional dimensions of inclusion. Through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 15 students from two rural secondary schools, the findings reveal that students view school not only as a site of academic learning but also as a key space for social connection and emotional expression. While many students reported general satisfaction with mainstream education, critical concerns emerged regarding the adequacy and accessibility of special education services. Furthermore, the study identifies both supportive and exclusionary peer behaviors, as well as varying degrees of student-teacher communication quality. By foregrounding students’ perspectives, this research contributes original insights into how inclusive practices are experienced on the ground and offers actionable recommendations for creating more responsive and equitable school environments. Implications for inclusive education policy and practice are discussed, and directions for future research are proposed.

Classrooms have become increasingly diverse worldwide. Respect for diversity, including the participation of students with disabilities/special educational needs in all aspects of school life, has made the need for adopting an inclusive education model pertinent. The present study has examined how Greek students with and without special educational needs perceive teachers’ roles and responsibilities, as well as their way of learning and participating during co-taught lessons. The sample consisted of 130 primary school children (aged 9–12 years), 16 of whom had special educational needs. Data were collected through the Co-Teaching Student Questionnaire and students’ drawings were analysed following the ‘Teacher Perception Coding List’. According to the results, students perceive that the general education teacher is mostly responsible for planning and implementing teaching, but both teachers, i.e., the mainstream and special education teacher, contribute to students’ learning and academic success. More specifically, students with special educational needs perceive the special education educator as a critical figure in the classroom, and they often seek support from him/her during the lessons. Also, the analyses of children’s drawings have revealed differences in the features (size, position, movements and age) of general and special educators. This research is original in that it offers a novel insight into how students perceive the co-teaching model and the role of teachers in Greek co-taught classrooms. It also gives valuable information on inclusive teaching practices that co-teachers could implement. Students’ perceptions of teachers’ roles and responsibilities can reveal challenges or successful practices of inclusion, thus acting as a valuable tool for both educators and researchers.