Differentiation and individualisation in inclusive education: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Abstract

This study integrates research about differentiation and individualisation in inclusive education since the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2006 (United Nations, 2006). The concept of inclusive education for all learners increases the requirement for teachers to create educational spaces that encourage stimulating teaching and learning processes. Accordingly, a methodological shift from the traditional 'one-sizefits-all' model to individualised teaching and learning offers a starting point for educational equity. The aim of this paper is to investigate the progress of differentiated and individualised teaching practices in inclusive classroom settings considering collaboration and teamwork, instructional practices, organisational practices and social/emotional/behavioural practices (see Finkelstein, Sharma, & Furlonger, 2019. "The Inclusive Practices of Classroom Teachers: A Scoping Review and Thematic Analysis." International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-28). Results of a criteria-based review considering papers from 2008 to December 2018 encompass 17 articles that were included in the narrative synthesis. Results indicated that the following aspects are characteristic of inclusive education: collaboration and coteaching, grouping, modification (of assessment, content, extent, instruction, learning environment, material, process, product and time frame), individual motivation and feedback, and personnel support of students. Implications of the findings and gaps in the research have been outlined.

‘Homeschooling in times of corona’: exploring Mexican and German primary school students’ and parents’ chances and challenges during homeschooling

“…Hence, DI has been identified as a teaching strategy that can ensure a fair educational system and has been widely recognised as a core element of effective teaching (OECD 2012). DI, as well as other inclusive approaches such as individualisation, sets student learning needs as the starting point (Lindner and Schwab 2020). DI is an inclusive pedagogical approach that acknowledges student diversity and carefully aligns learning tasks and activities with the individual learning needs of students with and without SEN (Loreman 2017).…”

Pre-service physical education teachers’ attitudes toward inclusive physical education

“…The attitude toward educational achievements and social aspects in inclusive PE address different behavioral categories that include certain inclusive practices. Some inclusive practices aim more on educational achievements (e.g., differentiated, and individualized instructions) and others more on social aspects (e.g., encouraging a positive classroom environment) (Lindner & Schwab, 2020). Accordingly, attitudes toward these aspects should predict behavioral intentions to perform inclusive practices supporting these aspects (e.g., Knauder & Koschmieder, 2019).…”

DI (Differentiated Instruction) Does Matter! The Effects of DI on Secondary School Students’ Well-Being, Social Inclusion and Academic Self-Concept

“…Given that DI can be often described as a collection of instructional strategies which enable teachers to ensure that all students, regardless of their individual characteristics, have positive and successful learning situations, its effectiveness is often associated with optimal learning outcomes at the level of academic performance and achievement (Loreman, 2017). However, up to know there are still diverging definitions of the instructional approach make it a challenge to compare results from different studies on the effects of DI, thereby leading to investigations of different outlines of DI (Jennek et al, 2019;Lindner and Schwab, 2020;Prast et al, 2015;Roy et al, 2015). Taking this into account, Deunk et al (2018) undertook a meta-analysis to investigate the effects of DI on the cognitive competences of primary students.…”

“…Diverse student characteristics as well as their various educational needs necessitate suitable pedagogical reactions which are free of discrimination and exclusion and guarantee learning for every student (McMurray and Thompson, 2016;Petersen, 2016;Ainscow and Messiou, 2018). In this context, inclusive teaching practices are often discussed as a pedagogical solution to avoid learning barriers for students who are likely to be disadvantaged in educational settings [e.g., due to individual characteristics such as a diagnosis of having special education needs (SEN)] (Lindner and Schwab, 2020;UNESCO, 2020).…”