Reframing the inclusive classroom as a designed learning environment: an integrative literature review

Abstract

Research on inclusive classrooms has developed across three domains: inclusivity, focusing on belonging and social participation; inclusive education, addressing pedagogy, leadership, and institutional practices; and inclusive design, which considers the spatial, material, and sensory conditions of learning environments. An inclusive learning environment is one in which learners are supported to access educational opportunities, participate meaningfully, and achieve learning outcomes. Although inclusion reflects broader philosophies, policies, and institutional commitments, the inclusive classroom is the site where these principles are enacted, translating inclusion into accessible spaces, equitable learning opportunities, and socially participatory practices. Despite growing scholarship in these areas, limited research integrates these perspectives, constraining the conceptualization of the inclusive classroom as a holistically designed learning environment that simultaneously addresses social, pedagogical, spatial, and institutional dimensions. To address this gap, this study conducts an integrative literature review of 34 studies, synthesizing interdisciplinary knowledge across the three domains. Using a thematic synthesis process involving initial coding, descriptive theme development, and analytical theme generation, the review examined how inclusive classrooms are conceptualised across disciplinary contexts. The analysis identifies four conceptualizations of the inclusive classroom: a value-based environment emphasizing social justice and belonging; a pedagogical and organizational space shaped by teaching practices and curriculum adaptation; a designed physical and sensory environment defined by spatial layout and accessibility; and a design system involving resources, technologies, and institutional supports. Through cross-domain synthesis, these conceptualisations were further integrated into four higher-order analytical framings: the Architecture of Capability, Technologically-Mediated Relationality, Proactive Ecosystemic Design, and Relational Systemic Enactment. The findings reconceptualise the inclusive classroom as a designed learning environment emerging through the dynamic interaction of social, pedagogical, spatial, and institutional dimensions. This integrative perspective contributes a conceptual framework that extends existing understandings of inclusive classrooms and provides a foundation for future research, educational practice, and the design of inclusive learning environments.