Topic

Through content analysis of the extensive ECER abstracts database, we investigated the abstracts of research papers submitted to Network 04 from 2000 to 2024. Our aim was to uncover recurring themes, evolving priorities, and shifts in the research landscape of Inclusive Education. By analyzing patterns in the data, the panel provides a comprehensive picture of how Inclusive Education has been addressed in Europe, highlighting key areas of focus, emerging trends, and gaps in the existing body of work.

Conceptual Framework

The field of Inclusive Education has evolved into a broad and dynamic domain, encompassing diverse perspectives and approaches. Since the creation of Network 04 under the European Educational Research Association in 2000, presentations delivered at Network 04 during ECER conferences have embraced a wide range of interpretations, methodologies, and themes. These contributions have allowed researchers to explore various aspects of inclusion in education in Europe and beyond. Within the flexible and open framework provided by Network 04, contributions reflect the complexity of Inclusive Education by integrating diverse research interests and fostering ongoing dialogue.

However, this diversity raises questions about the field’s boundaries and priorities. Inspired by the groundbreaking EERA session on “Thematic Trends in 30 Years of European Educational Research” held at ECER in Nicosia, this panel delves into 25 years of contributions to ECER through the lens of topic modeling (Churchill & Singh, 2022; Kherwa & Bansal, 2019) to better understand how Inclusive Education has been conceptualized and developed over time.

Objective

This panel proposal seeks to ignite a broader conversation about the future of Inclusive Education research. By reflecting on 25 years of contributions to ECER, participants are encouraged to consider how the field’s diversity can inform its future directions. The ultimate goal is not only to map past trends but also to inspire new lines of inquiry that address current challenges and anticipate future needs. Building on analytical insights, the panel aims to foster a renewed sense of purpose and direction in shaping the evolving narrative of Inclusive Education research.

Research Question

What have been the evolution and main trends of Inclusive Education research in Europe over the last twenty-five years, as evidenced by the abstracts of papers presented at ECER?

Methodology

The study uses the web app EduTopics: ECER (https://dipf-lis.shinyapps.io/EduTopicsECER/), an app which applied topic modeling, a sophisticated computational method for analyzing large collections of text (Abuhay et al., 2018; Lemay et al., 2021), to the corpus of ECER abstracts. Topic modelling determines central content related themes in literature corpora by clustering words and phrases that frequently appear together, revealing hidden thematic structures across the dataset. This method enables researchers to reduce textual complexity, uncovering core themes and their relationships over time. By incorporating machine learning techniques and natural language processing, the analysis also explores the distribution of contributions by year, country, and institutional affiliation, providing a multidimensional view of the data.

Results

The findings reveal significant patterns and transformations within the field of Inclusive Education. From foundational concepts to emerging methodologies, the analysis tracks how researchers have framed inclusion over time. Rather than presenting a definitive ranking of topics, the presentation of results will serve as a springboard for critical reflection on the field’s development. By identifying dominant themes and examining their trajectories, the panel invites participants to question entrenched assumptions and explore new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

Abuhay, T. M., Nigatie, Y. G., & Kovalchuk, S. V. (2018). Towards predicting trend of scientific research topics using topic modeling. Procedia Computer Science, 136, 304-310. Churchill, R., & Singh, L. (2022). The evolution of topic modeling. ACM Computing Surveys, 54(10s), 1-35 Kherwa, P., & Bansal, P. (2019). Topic modeling: a comprehensive review. EAI Endorsed transactions on scalable information systems, 7(24). Lemay, D. J., Baek, C., & Doleck, T. (2021). Comparison of learning analytics and educational data mining: A topic modeling approach. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 2, 100016.