THE INTERPLAY OF EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Hristina R. Fidosieva

Abstract


Inclusive education increasingly emphasises the need to ensure equitable learning opportunities for all students, particularly children and students with disabilities. Within this context, educational support and student participation emerge as central constructs shaping the quality and effectiveness of inclusive educational practices. This paper explores the interplay between educational support and student participation from a theoretical perspective, focusing on their role in promoting meaningful engagement and autonomy in inclusive settings. The study is based on a conceptual and analytical review of contemporary literature in inclusive and special education, complemented by an examination of relevant international policy frameworks. Educational support is conceptualised as an integral component of teaching that encompasses environmental adaptation, pedagogical accompaniment, and the facilitation of learner autonomy. Student participation is examined as a multidimensional construct, encompassing academic, social, and emotional engagement in the learning process. The analysis demonstrates that educational support and participation function as interdependent and mutually reinforcing processes. Supportive practices create the conditions for participation, while participation activates and gives purpose to support, particularly for students with disabilities. The paper argues that autonomy emerges as a developmental outcome of sustained participation within supportive learning environments. By conceptualising support and participation as inseparable elements of inclusive education, the study contributes to the theoretical foundations of special and inclusive pedagogy and offers insights for inclusive educational practice.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter


Keywords


inclusive education; educational support; student participation; children with disabilities; special educational needs

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: lessons from international experiences, Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1729587

Alhassan, Awal Mohammed, Christensen, Margrethe, Solheim, Ksenia & Mellemsether, Beate. (2025). Empowering minority voices: how inclusive teaching and support foster multicultural learning. Frontiers in Education. 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1595106

Bruner, J. (1997). The Culture of Education. MA: Harvard University Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/The_Culture_of_Education.html?id=7a978qleVkcC&redir_esc=y

Crono, L., & Snow, R.E. (1986). Adapting teaching to individual differences among learners. Handbook of research on teaching. Retrieved from https://www.fachportal-paedagogik.de/literatur/vollanzeige.html?FId=2119145

Ducette, J. P., Sewell, T. E. & Poliner Shapiro, J. (1996). Diversity in education: Problems and possibilities. The Teacher Educator’s Handbook, 323-381. https://books.google.ro/books/about/Reframing_Diversity_in_Education.html?id=MFClMzh0QFcC&redir_esc=y

Eccles, J. S., & Roeser, R. W. (2011). Schools as developmental contexts during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 225-241. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00725.x

Fidosieva, H. (2025). Podkrepa v obuchenieto – ot estestvena potrebnost kam pedagogicheska realnost [Educational support: From a natural need to a pedagogical reality]. Veliko Tarnovo: IIINASR Publishing House. ISBN 978-619-93155-1-4

Finn, J. D. (1989). Withdrawing from school. Review of Educational Research, 59(2), 117-142. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543059002117

Florian, L. (2015). Inclusive Pedagogy: A transformative approach to individual differences but can it help reduce educational inequalities?, Scottish Educational Review 47(1), 5-14. https://doi.org/10.1163/27730840-04701003

Fougeyrollas, P. (2010). La funambule, le fil et la toile : Transformations réciproques du sens du handicap. Presses de l'Université Laval. https://www.pulaval.com/livres/la-funambule-le-fil-et-la-toile-transformations-reciproques-du-sens-du-handicap

Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59-109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059

Garbacheva, A. (2015). Uchastie v obrazovatelniya protses na 6–9 godishnite detsa v sastoyanie na intelektualna nedostatachnost. Prez pogleda na izsledovatelskata praktika [Participation in the educational process of children aged 6–9 with intellectual disabilities: From the perspective of research practice]. Veliko Tarnovo: AIO Publishing House.

Garbacheva, A. (2018). Funktsionalno otsenyavane [Functional assessment]. In Proceedings of the Second Scientific Discussion Forum – Interinstitutional Qualification “From Inclusion to Participation in the Educational Process of Educational Specialists and Students” (June 23–25, 2018, Krapets, Bulgaria). Retrieved from https://www.ir-di-tsa.com/

Hattie, J. (2017). Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203181522

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2019). Cooperative learning: The foundation for active learning. Active Learning: Transforming Students’ Lives, 35(3), 224-245. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81086

Loiacono, V. & Valenti, V. (2010). General education teachers need to be prepared to co-teach the increasing number of children with autism in inclusive settings. International Journal of Special Education (25(3)), 34-32. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ909033

Nketsia, W., Opoku, M. P., & Amponteng, M. (2025). Inclusive Teaching Practices in Secondary Schools: Understanding Teachers’ Competence in Using Differentiated Instruction to Support Secondary School Students with Disabilities. Education Sciences, 15(12), 1613. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15121613

OECD (2024). Equity and inclusion in education: Finding strength through diversity. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2023/01/equity-and-inclusion-in-education_e8cfc768.html

Oswal, N., Al-Kilani, M. H., Faisal, R., & Fteiha, M. (2025). A Systematic Review of Inclusive Education Strategies for Students of Determination in Higher Education Institutions: Current Challenges and Future Directions. Education Sciences, 15(5), 518. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050518

Thomas, Phillip. (2024). Inclusive Pedagogical Approaches for Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs: Evidence-Informed Practices in Multicultural Classrooms. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/394417674_Inclusive_Pedagogical_Approaches_for_Supporting_Students_with_Special_Educational_Needs_Evidence-_Informed_Practices_in_Multicultural_Classrooms

Perrenoud, P. (1991). Le soutien pédagogique, une réponse à l’échec scolaire ? Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l’éducation Université de Genève. Retrieved from https://www.unige.ch/fapse/SSE/teachers/perrenoud/php_main/php_1991/1991_01.html

Prud’homme L., Ramel, S.& Vienneau, R. (2011). Valorisation de la diversité en éducation : défis contemporains et pistes d’action. Éducation et francophonie, 39(2). https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/ef/2011-v39-n2-ef05/

Prud’homme, L., Duchesne, H., Bonvin, P., & Vienneau, R. (Eds.). (2020). L’inclusion scolaire: ses fondements, ses acteurs et ses pratiques. Hermann. https://books.google.bf/books?id=FWFBDQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false

Potgieter-Groot, L., Visser, M. & Lubbe-de Beer, C. (2012). Emotional and behavioural barriers to learning and development in the inclusive education classrooms in South Africa: Developing a training programme for teachers. Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health (24(1)), 59-71. https://doi.org/10.2989/17280583.2011.639775

UNESCO (2019). On the road to inclusion: highlights from the UNICEF and IIEP Technical Round Tables on Disability-inclusive Education Sector Planning. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000372193

UNESCO (2024). Global Education Monitoring Report 2024/5: Leadership in education – Lead for learning. Paris: UNESCO. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391406

Wentzel, K. R., & Brophy, J. E. (2014). Motivating students to learn. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203108017

Zimmerman, Barry. (1990). Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement: An Overview. Educational Psychologist - Educ Psychol. 25. 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2501_2




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejse.v12i1.6456

Copyright © 2015 - 2026. European Journal of Special Education Research (ISSN 2501 - 2428) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms.

All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).