A Review of Research on the Education of Migrant Students with Special Needs

Abstract

Introduction: Migrant students face various challenges when adapting to an educational system different from their own, encountering exclusionary/racist attitudes, learning the language and culture of the host country, integrating into new social environments, and understanding the education system and curriculum of the destination country. These difficulties can become even more complex when combined with special needs or disabilities, making it harder for students to adjust to the education system of the host countries. Method: The study aimed to examine to examine research articles published between 2011 and 2022 regarding the education of migrant students with special needs (MSSN). The study examined various variables, including the publication year, country of origin, research purpose, research methodology, participants, data collection tools/techniques, and findings. To achieve this aim, a systematic review method was adopted, and searches were conducted in national and international databases based on the following criteria: (a) the research was published between 2011 and 2022, (b) the study included educators working with migrant students with any special needs diagnosis, with either the students themselves or their parents as participants, (c) the research focused on the education of MSSN, (d) the research was published in Turkish or English, (e) the research underwent a peer review and was published, and (f) the research met at least 90% of the criteria established by the quality assessment criteria developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) for evaluating the methodological quality of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies. Nine research articles that met these criteria were analyzed. Findings: Within the scope of the study, 34 research articles related to the education of MSSN were identified in the national and international literature. However, most of these studies (n = 25) were excluded as they did not meet the criteria (90%) set by the quality assessment criteria developed by the JBI. According to the findings of the study, the participant group in the research on MSSN generally consisted of parents and teachers of these students. All nine studies that met the inclusion criteria were designed using qualitative research methods. Additionally, the highest number of studies was conducted in the United States. Discussion: The findings indicate that various research studies have been conducted on the education of MSSN, particularly from 2015 onwards. These studies predominantly relied on the perspectives of the families and educators of MSSN, highlighting that the most significant challenges in their education stem from language and cultural differences. Furthermore, most of the research reported in the national and international literature did not meet the criteria of quality assessment, suggesting a need for a more significant number of high-quality studies to delve deeper into the subject matter.