Quality Practices in Educational Settings: Participation, Inclusion and Development

Dear Colleagues,

Acknowledging the impact of high-quality inclusive environments on the positive outcomes of all young children, including children with disabilities or at risk of developmental delays (e.g., Coelho et al., 2019; Guralnick, 2001; Pianta et al., 2009; Odom et al., 2011), this Special Issue aims to focus on ecologically valid research that portrays real-life transitional processes, providing evidence of the interdependent and dynamic connection between context quality and children´s trajectories across school paths (e.g., Osher et al., 2020).

There is extensive research underlining the importance of recognizing and addressing classroom diversity as an inevitable aspect of human development (e.g., Ainscow et al., 2006; Lindner & Schwab, 2020). In this scope, researchers, policymakers and practitioners cannot ignore the complexities inherent to the educational inclusion processes, as well as the simultaneous recognition of the potential and challenges of creating high-quality classroom environments that adequately respond to a wide range of children´s characteristics (e.g., Imms et al., 2017; Pelatti et al., 2016; Whiteneck & Dijkers, 2009).

This Special Issue aims to shed light on the nuanced aspects of participation, inclusion, learning and development within educational settings, particularly focusing on the structural and process quality of ECE-inclusive environments.

This Special Issue intends to consolidate and advance knowledge in the field of inclusive education by encouraging contributions that delve into the intricate interplay of environmental factors and their influence on children’s learning and development processes across different preschool and school ages. It aims to gather research that not only highlights challenges but also proposes innovative practices to enhance the quality of inclusive education and children’s outcomes. In doing so, this Special Issue aspires to contribute significantly to the ongoing dialogue among policymakers, researchers and educators, fostering a deeper understanding of how quality practices can positively shape the participation, inclusion, learning and development of children in educational settings.

This Special Issue invites papers featuring research focused on, but not limited to, one or more of the following related areas of interest:

- Challenges of inclusion in educational settings;
- Quality of teacher–child interactions in educational settings;
- Participatory practices in education;
- Participation and engagement of at-risk children;
- Evaluations of interventions to improve inclusion and participation. 

Dr. Vera Coelho
Dr. Helena Azevedo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• participation
• inclusion
• development
• early childhood
• context quality
• peer interactions
• learning
• teacher–child interactions