Author: Zaid N. Al-Shammari

DOI: 10.62670/2308-7668.2026.55.1.003

Source: Issue: vol. 55 No. 1: 10 April 2026

Publisher: PE "Center of Excellence"

Document type: Analytical review article

Abstract

Inclusive education is a transformative paradigm that champions the right of every learner to a high-quality education within mainstream settings. This article traces the evolution of inclusive education from the seminal 1994 Salamanca Statement to the latest UNESCO mandates, providing a robust theoretical framework of its principles and objectives. A significant portion of this paper is dedicated to a personal perspective, synthesizing over a decade of practice-based research in the State of Kuwait. This section highlights Kuwait’s journey, focusing on educator development, the successful application of evidence-based practices, and curriculum innovation. It showcases how research can identify and build upon a nation’s existing strengths to foster systemic synergy.
The article concludes with forward-looking recommendations aimed at accelerating Kuwait’s progress, advocating for a model of inclusion that is both authentic and sustainable. This synthesis of global theory and localized research offers a unique and optimistic contribution to the discourse on creating educational systems where every learner can thrive.

Key words: inclusive education, inclusion, research-based perspective, Kuwait

References

1. UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education. World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and Quality, Salamanca, Spain.
2. Mintz, J., & Norwich, B. (2023). Editorial: The role of evidence in developing effective educational inclusion. Frontiers in Education, 8, Article 1335386. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1335386
3. Mintz, J. (2015). Inclusion or special educational needs?: Uncertainty in the twenty-first century. In Exploring education and childhood (pp. 130–142). Routledge.
4. Mintz, J. (2024) The role of universities and knowledge in teacher education for inclusion, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(10), 2172-2182. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2022.2081877
5. United Nations. (2006). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. [Electronic resource]. –
URL: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html
6. UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. UNESCO.
7. UNESCO. (2024). Global Education Monitoring Report 2024/2025: Leadership in education—Lead for learning. UNESCO.
8. All In for Inclusive Education. (n.d.). About Inclusive Education. [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://www.allinforinclusiveed.org/about-inclusive-education
9. Tse, R., & Mintz, J. (2025). From compliance to cultivation: how principals’ values shape communities of practice for inclusion in market-driven kindergartens. Education Sciences, 15(12), 1607. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15121607
10. Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
11. U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/
12. National Center on Educational Restructuring and Inclusion. (1995). National study on inclusive education. The City University of New York.
13. Holzer, Opitz, E. M. (2025). The benefits of inclusive education: A systematic review of student achievement. European Journal of Special Needs Education. 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2025.2587615
14. Lampos, V., Mintz, J., & Qu, X. (2021). An artificial intelligence approach for selecting effective teacher communication strategies in autism education. npj Science of Learning, 6, Article 25. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-021-00102-x
15. Mintz, J., & Wyse, D. (2015). Inclusive pedagogy and knowledge in special education: Addressing the tension. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 19(11), 1161–1171. https://doi.org/10.
1080/13603116.2015.1044203
16. Al-Shammari, Z. (2005). Investigation of Special Education Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Students with Special Needs in State of Kuwait (Doctoral dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University).
17. Al-Shammari, Z.; & Alshammari, N. (2024). English language teachers’ pre- and in-service knowledge of inclusion from the inclusive education perspective and their readiness to implement it in middle general education schools in the state of Kuwait. Faculty of Education Journal Alexandria University, 34(4-3), 285–309. https://doi.org/10.21608/jealex.2025.344928.1069
18. Al-Shammari, Z. (2024). Special education classroom teachers’ pre- and in-service knowledge of co-teaching with general education classroom teachers and its impact on their practice in full-inclusion classrooms in Kuwait. Faculty of Education in Educational Sciences Journal-Ain Shams University, 48(2), 109–168. https://doi.org/10.21608/jfees.2024.371612
19. Al-Shammari, Z. (2019). Using Evidence-based Behaviorist Instructional Strategies with Effect Size in Inclusive Elementary Schools in Kuwait. International Journal for Research in Education, 43(2), 180–208. [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://scholarworks.uaeu.ac.ae/ijre/vol43/iss2/8.
20. Al-Shammari, Z. (2019). Using evidence-based cognitive teaching strategies with effect size in inclusion classrooms in Kuwait. The Saudi Journal of Special Education, 10, 107-137. [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329656730_Using_Evidence-based_Cognitive_Teaching_Strategies_with_Effect_Size_in_Inclusion_Classrooms_in_Kuwait?utm_source=chatgpt.com
21. Al-Shammari, Z. (2021). Using evidence-based constructivism instructional strategies with effect size above 0.40 in Kuwait’s inclusion classrooms. Egyptian Journal of Educational Sciences, 1(2), 135–152. https://doi.org/10.21608/ejes.2021.238067
22. Al-Shammari, Z. (2023). The effectiveness of practicing evidence-based mixed instructional strategies in educating mathematics and its impact on improving LD students’ learning outcomes in Kuwait. The Saudi Journal of Special Education, 27, 203–233. [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://www.academia.edu/101118266/The_Effectiveness_of_Practicing_Evidence_based_Mixed_Instructional_Strategies
23. Al-Shammari, Z. (2024). Special education teachers’ understanding of adaptation and accommodation processes to implement in the education for students with special needs in elementary inclusion schools in Kuwait. Faculty of Education Journal Alexandria University, 34(1), 21–47. https://doi.org/10.21608/jealex.2024.354734
24. Al-Shammari, Z. (2024). Special education teachers’ knowledge of the modification process and willingness to implement it in developing the special educational curriculum for students with special educational needs in inclusion schools in Kuwait. Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, 18(4), 370–387. [Electronic resource]. – URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.53543/jeps.vol18iss4pp370-387
25. Al-Shammari, Z. (2025). Kuwait’s inclusive education context. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2025.2564332
26. Al-Shammari, Z.; & Mintz, J. (2023). The scope for using international indicators of inclusive education in Kuwait and the GCC – A preliminary study involving special education teachers. British Journal of Special Education, 50(3), 344–354. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.12473
27. Al-Shammari, Z. (2011). Applications to improve education outcomes by using analysis model for learning outcomes (AMLO): Perspective from Kuwait. INTED Conference. Proceedings of INTED2011 2010 Conference ISBN: 978-84-614-7423-3. Pages 005721- 005724. Spain: Valencia, 7-9 March, 2011.
28. Al-Shammari, Z. (2010). Analysis model for learning outcomes (AMLO): Handbook for Professional Educators.
29. Al-Shammari, Z. (2011). Assessment of student learning outcomes: indicators of strengths and weaknesses. In Proceedings of the ICERI 2011 Conference (pp. 4228–4230). IATED.
30. Al-Shammari, Z. (2012). Using AMLO to improve the quality of teacher education outcomes. Educational Research Quarterly, 36(1), 48–62. [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1061929.pdf
31. Al-Shammari, Z. N., & Mintz, J. (2025). Perspectives on employing a structured fifth-grade mathematics curriculum based on a learning outcomes model with students with special educational needs in Kuwait mainstream schools. Education Sciences, 15(7),896. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15070896