Breaking barriers or building walls? The impact of inclusive and segregated learning settings on learning development of students with special educational needs in Austria

Inclusive education aims to address the diverse needs of all students by increasing participation and decreasing learning barriers. However, the continued existence of special education settings for students with special educational needs (SEN) in learning (SEN-L) remains difficult to legitimise from both a normative and evidence-based perspective. This study explores the impact of classroom settings (regular, inclusive, and special education) on academic achievement in reading and mathematics for students with and without SEN over three measurement points. The sample consists of 330 students (200 male, 127 female, 3 non-binary; 46 students with SEN-L) with an average age of 11 years (SD = 0.89) from Vienna. The results show no significant differences in academic achievement between students attending different settings - neither for students without SEN attending regular vs. inclusive classes, nor for students with SEN attending inclusive classes vs. special education settings. Furthermore, no effect of the classroom setting on students’ achievement development was found, even when controlling for IQ, gender, and socioeconomic status. These results raise questions about the legitimacy of special schools, as they do not seem to provide a clear academic advantage over inclusive settings, and students with learning disabilities (SEN-L) do not hinder the development of their peers without SEN in inclusive classes.