Parent perspectives on inclusive education for students with intellectual disability: A scoping review of the literature

Abstract

The aim of this study was to collect and analyze research on inclusive education from the perspective of parents of students with intellectual disability (ID). The review examined characteristics and trends related to geographical origin of research, design, data collection, publication source and year, source of data, age of individuals with ID, and research focus. The initial database search produced a total of 2,540 non-duplicated articles published between 1994 and 2019. In total, 63 articles were included from the initial search and a subsequent ancestry search. The results show a significant increase in publication on the topic in the final one-tenth of the review time parameter, suggesting a continued upward trend. The majority of articles were qualitative in design, used interviews and surveys to collect data, and focus on the perspectives and beliefs of parents on inclusive education. Gaps in the existing set of research included a lack of family perspectives beyond that of mothers (e.g. father, grandparent) and a limited focus beyond perspectives and beliefs, to that of parent experiences of inclusive education.

Keywords:

• intellectual disability
• inclusive education
• systematic review
• parents
• family
• perspective

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Faculty of Education, Queen's University. Funding provided by Queen's University Research Opportunities Funds: International Fund and Faculty of Education SEED Grant.