Inclusive Education of Students With General Learning Difficulties: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This article presents a meta-analysis on cognitive (e.g., academic performance) and psychosocial outcomes (e.g., self-concept, well-being) among students with general learning difficulties and their peers without learning difficulties in inclusive versus segregated educational settings. In total, we meta-analyzed k = 40 studies with 428 effect sizes and a total sample of N = 11,987 students. We found a significant small to medium positive effect for cognitive outcomes of students with general learning difficulties in inclusive versus segregated settings ( d = 0.35) and no effect on psychosocial outcomes ( d = 0.00). Students without general learning difficulties did not differ cognitively ( d = −0.14) or psychosocially ( d = 0.06) from their counterparts in segregated settings. We examined several moderators (e.g., design, diagnosis, type of outcome). We discuss possible selection effects as well as implications for future research and practice.