Contextual Variables with an Impact on the Educational Inclusion of Students with Rare Diseases

Abstract

The context of a school may play a fundamental role in students’ academic and personal progress. In this study, we focus on two contextual variables, the school type and school location or setting. The study used a questionnaire to assess teachers’ knowledge and thoughts about rare diseases based on these variables, with the participation of 574 school teachers. To broaden the research perspective, another questionnaire was administered to members of 152 rare disease patient advocacy groups to ask about their participation in educational processes and analyse their results according to one of the contextual variables: the setting or location of each association. The results indicated statistically significant differences according to the variables examined, which were larger for the type of school variable. In short, numerous variables that influence the teaching and learning processes need to be considered in educational praxis; in this study, we looked at those of a contextual nature (for example, the geographic characteristics of schools and associations), and this is essential for increasingly heterogeneous educational locations that demand multidimensional approaches.