Inclusion of students with special education needs in Nordic countries: a systematic scoping review

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flow diagram for the search and inclusion criteria for studies in this review.

Figure 2. Overview of the categories of inclusion perspectives for each Nordic country.

Figure 3. Overview of the categories of SEN perspectives for each Nordic country.

Table 1. Core perspectives of inclusion identified in the included studies.

Inclusion theme	Brief description	Examples of aspects within each theme
Physical Inclusion	Perspectives with a physical placement focus, emphasizing placement, where education takes place, mainstreaming	One school for all; physical inclusion and mainstreaming; absence of segregation
Equity/Diversity & Support	Perspectives emphasizing accommodating to a diversity of learners, providing support in line with the individual needs rather than just placing pupils in mainstream classes	Adaptation; differentiation; individualization; equity; accepting and responding to students’ diversity and needs; focusing on task versus needs; providing support, access, and opportunities; removing barriers; a focus on benefits for students
Justice	Perspectives emphasizing social justice, with the human right focus, a rights-based approach	Inclusion as a human right; right to (regular) education and participation; right to special education support (e.g., diagnostics, individual education plan); inclusion as an ethical concept
Equality	Perspectives emphasizing inclusion as providing equal opportunities for all	Equal opportunity; participation, position, access, and support for all; reducing differences
Democracy	Perspectives emphasizing democratization of systems	Democracy; welfare state ideology; central role of learners and families in decision-making
Fellowship/ Community & Social Participation	Perspectives emphasizing inclusion as meeting the social needs of SEN pupils, social participation, creation of community and fellowship	Society, community, and fellowship; cultural integration; participation and active involvement; social and relational belonging
Psychological Inclusion	Perspectives emphasizing psychological mental health, wellbeing of SEN children	Psychological and emotional well-being; mental health
Academic/Educational Inclusion	Perspectives emphasizing inclusion as meeting the academic needs of SEN pupils	Academic, educational, and pedagogical inclusion; education and learning for all
System/Process/Holistic Approach	Perspectives emphasizing inclusion not at the individual level but in a system level, as an ongoing process in a wider context	Inclusion as a process/vision; system transformation; holistic/multi-dimensional approach; connections between subjects, school, social context, and parents

Table 2. Core perspectives of SEN identified in the included studies.

SEN theme	Perspectives	Example terms mentioned
Deficit	Medical, categorical, diagnostic, vulnerable, or compensatory perspectives	“struggling pupil”, “individual shortcomings”, “needs arise from disabilities or learning difficulties”, “children with different challenges”
Contextual	Situational, relational, or social perspectives	“broader scope that includes the educational settings, structural inequalities, professional interests, the system’s failure to accommodate differences”, “relational perspective focuses upon social processes and organizational pathologies”
Not benefiting from ordinary classroom	Perspectives that emphasize not benefitting from ordinary teaching and experiencing barriers to learning	“do not or are unable to benefit satisfactorily from ordinary teaching”, “experiencing barriers to learning”
Not meeting/reaching goals/requirements	Perspectives that emphasize difficulties to cope with the school’s proficiency requirements or reach learning objectives	“pupil will not be able to achieve the goals of the minimal level”, “difficult to participate in the normal curriculum of schools”, “problems in adapting to classroom activities”