International Trends in Inclusive Education Intervention Research: A Literature Review

Although promoting inclusive education for students with disabilities has received significant attention internationally, reviews of the international intervention literature have not been conducted. This paper describes the results of a literature review of the past 15 years of peer-reviewed, empirical articles published in English- and Spanish-language journals to identify trends in research on supports implemented to enhance student-level outcomes in inclusive K-12 settings with students with disabilities. Intervention methods, findings, and trends were compared across the English and Spanish literature. Only 98 articles were identified that implemented and assessed outcomes in inclusive settings in the English-language literature, and the total number of participating students with disabilities was 12,896. Students with more extensive support needs were more frequently represented in the research than students with less extensive support needs. About one half of the studies targeted interventions to enhance instructional supports to improve students' general education curriculum-related skills and knowledge. The four intervention studies identified in the Spanish-language literature totaled 219 participants, and all four studies investigated participation supports. Implications for future research to advance inclusive practices internationally are discussed.