RT journal article
T1 Overrepresentation of Students from a Migrant Background in Special Education: Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Education
A1 Cotán Fernández, Almudena
A1 Besa Gutiérrez, Manuel Rafael de
A1 Ruiz Bejarano, Aurora María
A1 Ossorio Núñez, Margarita
A2 Didáctica
A2 Economía General
K1 diversity
K1 inclusive education
K1 overrepresentation
K1 special education
K1 students from a migrant background
AB This study analyses the overrepresentation of students from a migrant background in special education in the stage of primary education, in the region of El Campo de Gibraltar (Southern Spain). This phenomenon poses significant concerns in terms of educational equity and discrimination, as well as questions about the possible underlying causes. It was decided to address this issue from a qualitative methodology through semi-structured interviews with 16 educators of educational centres that have a significant number of students from a migrant background. The results show the need of educators for specific training in attention to diversity. Likewise, many migrant families come to Spain due to the lack of adequate attention that their children receive in their home countries. Lastly, language and cultural barriers were identified, which allow for biased assessments and subjective decisions that result in the referral of students from a migrant background to special education from a multidimensional perspective. Therefore, it is fundamental to provide training to professionals, overcome the language and cultural barriers and ensure that the necessary resources are available, thus guaranteeing an inclusive and equitable education for all students, regardless of their origin.
PB Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
SN 2227-7102
YR 2023
FD 2023
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/32422
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/32422
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 05-nov-2026