BEYOND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: UTILIZING AI-GENERATED SOCIAL NARRATIVES TO ENHANCE THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46827/ejse.v12i7.7026الكلمات المفتاحية:
artificial intelligence، inclusive education، social narrativesالملخص
Despite the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in education, mainstream research remains heavily skewed toward academic achievement, curriculum accessibility, and personalized instruction. Consequently, the social dimension of inclusion—specifically peer acceptance, social interaction, and a student's sense of belonging—has been systematically neglected. To address this critical gap, this conceptual paper proposes a multidimensional theoretical framework illustrating how AI-generated social narratives can function as a pedagogical mechanism to support the social inclusion of elementary school students with disabilities. Grounded in a synthesis of complementary theoretical perspectives, including the Need to Belong Theory, Social Identity Theory, Contact Theory, Narrative Transportation Theory, and Recognition Theory, the framework delineates three distinct yet interrelated pathways to social inclusion: (a) a direct pathway linking narrative-induced perspective-taking and empathy to peer acceptance, (b) an indirect pathway operating through the cultivation of a supportive and inclusive classroom climate, and (c) a symbolic pathway achieved through representation, visibility, and validation of diverse identities. Furthermore, the paper critically contrasts AI-generated narratives with traditional social stories, highlighting the transformative potential of generative AI in terms of real-time personalization, adaptive responsiveness, contextual immediacy, and student co-construction. Finally, a roadmap for future empirical and longitudinal research is outlined, focusing on the verification of the proposed pathways, ethical safeguards, and the role of human oversight. Ultimately, the framework shifts the evaluation of educational AI beyond learning outcomes toward fostering authentic belonging within inclusive school communities.المراجع
Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: Lessons from international experiences. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 6(1), 7-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1729587
Allen, K. A., & Kern, P. L. (2017). School Belonging in Adolescents: Theory, Research and Practice. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5996-4_3
Allen, K. A., Kern, M. L., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J., & Waters, L. (2018). What schools need to know about fostering school belonging: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30(1), 1-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-016-9389-8
Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Addison-Wesley. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1954-07324-000
Arslan, G. (2021). School belongingness, well-being, and mental health among adolescents: exploring the role of loneliness. Australian Journal of Psychology, 73, 70 - 80. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1904499
Au, A., Caltabiano, N. J., & Vaksman, O. (2023). The impact of sense of belonging, resilience, time management skills and academic performance on psychological well-being among university students. Cogent Education, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2023.2215594
Batson, C. D., Early, S., & Salvarani, G. (1997). Perspective taking: Imagining how another feels versus imagining how you would feel. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(7), 751-758. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167297237008
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497-529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
Booth, T., & Ainscow, M. (2011). The Index for Inclusion: Developing learning and participation in schools (3rd ed.). Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education.
Bossaert, G., Colpin, H., Pijl, S. J., & Petry, K. (2013). Truly included? A literature study focusing on the social dimension of inclusion in education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17(1), 60-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2011.580464
Dalgaard, N. T., Bondebjerg, A., Viinholt, B. C. A., & Filges, T. (2022). The effects of inclusion on academic achievement, socioemotional development and wellbeing of children with special educational needs. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1291
de Boer, A., Pijl, S. J., & Minnaert, A. (2012). Students’ attitudes towards peers with disabilities: A review of the literature. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 59(4), 379-392. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2012.723944
Dumitru, C., Abdulsahib, G. M., Khalaf, O. I., & Bennour, A. (2026). Integrating artificial intelligence in supporting students with disabilities in higher education: An integrative review. Technology and Disability, 38(1), 3-24. https://doi.org/10.1177/10554181251355428
Florian, L. (2014). What counts as evidence of inclusive education? European Journal of Special Needs Education, 29(3), 286-294. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2014.933551
Garrote, G. (2017). Relationship between the social participation and social skills of pupils with an intellectual disability: A study in inclusive classrooms. Frontline Learning Research, 5(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v5i1.266
Goodenow, C. (1993). The psychological sense of school membership among adolescents: Scale development and educational correlates. Psychology in the Schools, 30(1), 79-90. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807(199301)30:1
Gray, C. (2015). The New Social Story Book (15th Anniversary Edition). Future Horizons.
Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701-721. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.5.701
Holmes, W., & Tuomi, I. (2022). State of the art and practice in AI in education. European Journal of Education, 57(4), 542-570. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12533
Holmes, W., Bialik, M., & Fadel, C. (2022). Artificial intelligence in education: Promises and implications for teaching and learning. Center for Curriculum Redesign. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332180327_Artificial_Intelligence_in_Education_Promise_and_Implications_for_Teaching_and_Learning
Honneth, A. (1995). The struggle for recognition: The moral grammar of social conflicts. Polity Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/The_Struggle_for_Recognition.html?id=Gsd3PwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y
Korpershoek, H., Canrinus, E. T., Fokkens-Bruinsma, M., & de Boer, H. (2020). The relationships between school belonging and students’ motivational, social-emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes in secondary education: A meta-analytic review. Research Papers in Education, 35(6), 641-680. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2019.1615116
Koster, M., Nakken, H., Pijl, S. J., & van Houten, E. (2009). Being part of the peer group: A literature study focusing on the social dimension of inclusion in education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 13(2), 117-140. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110701284680
Li, J., Yan, Y., & Zeng, X. (2025). Exploring artificial intelligence in inclusive education: A systematic review of empirical studies. Applied Sciences, 15(23), 12624. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152312624
Lindsay, S., & Edwards, A. (2012). A systematic review of disability awareness interventions for children and youth. Disability and Rehabilitation, 35(8), 623–646. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2012.702850
Louari M. (2017). Friendship formation in inclusive settings. Is bibliotherapy an effective strategy? in A. Hudelist, & F. Auernig (Eds) Proceedings of 19th European Conference on Literacy, “Literacy in the new Landscape of Communication. Research, Education and the Everyday”, p.p.32-38. Austrian Literacy Association: Graz, Austria. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10521.42083
Mar, R. A., & Oatley, K. (2008). The function of fiction is the abstraction and simulation of social experience. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(3), 173-192. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00073.x
Mazzocco, P. J., Green, M. C., Sasota, J. A., & Jones, N. W. (2010). This story is not for everyone: Transportability and narrative persuasion. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 1(4), 361-368. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550610376600
Melo-López, V.-A., Basantes-Andrade, A., Gudiño-Mejía, C.-B., & Hernández-Martínez, E. (2025). The impact of artificial intelligence on inclusive education: A systematic review. Education Sciences, 15(5), 539. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050539
More, C. M. (2008). Social stories and young children with autism spectrum disorders: A descriptive review of research. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(2), 127-144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-008-0261-0
Nantaburom, S., & Wetcho, S. (2026). The role of artificial intelligence in special and inclusive education: A systematic literature review. Contemporary Educational Technology, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/18489
Norwich, B. (2013). Addressing Tensions and Dilemmas in Inclusive Education: Living with uncertainty. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.154
Osterman, K. F. (2000). Students’ need for belonging in the school community. Review of Educational Research, 70(3), 323-367. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543070003323
Paglialunga, A., & Melogno, S. (2025). The effectiveness of artificial intelligence-based interventions for students with learning disabilities: A systematic review. Brain Sciences, 15(8), 806. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15080806
Reynhout, G., & Carter, M. (2006). Social Stories™ for children with disabilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(4), 445-469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0086-1
Sakowich M., & Hamidi, F. (2025). Generative AI for Inclusive Education: Supporting
Students with Disabilities Through Universal Design for
Learning. American Journal of STEM Education: Issues and Perspectives
Star Scholars Press, 15, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.32674/yeyaaq64
Schwab, S. (2018). Attitudes Towards Inclusive Schooling. A study on Students’, Teachers’, and Parents’ attitudes. Waxmann. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Attitudes_Towards_Inclusive_Schooling.html?id=yVZtDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
Schwab, S., Lehofer, M. L., & Tanzer, N. (2021). The impact of social behavior and peers’ attitudes toward students with special educational needs on self-reported peer interactions. Frontiers in Education, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.561662
Slee, R. (2011). The Irregular School: Exclusion, schooling and inclusive education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9604.2011.01502_2.x
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In S. Worchel & W. G. Austin (Eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 7-24). Nelson-Hall. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203505984-16
Turner, R. N., Crisp, R. J., & Lambert, E. (2007). Imagining intergroup contact can improve intergroup attitudes. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 10(4), 427-441. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430207081533
UNESCO. (2020). Global education monitoring report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/gem-report/report/2020/inclusion
Voultsiou, E., & Moussiades, L. (2025). A systematic review of AI, VR, and LLM applications in special education: Opportunities, challenges, and future directions. Education and Information Technologies, 30, 19141-19181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13550-4
Vyrastekova, J. (2021). Social inclusion of students with special educational needs assessed by the Inclusion of Other in the Self scale. PLOS ONE, 16(4), e0250070. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250070
Walter, A. (2025). Enhancing Special Education with Generative AI: Suggestions from our Practice. Thresholds in Education, 48(2), 202-225. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1483969
Wenger, I., Schulze, C., Lundström, U., & Prellwitz, M. (2021). Children’s perceptions of playing on inclusive playgrounds: A qualitative study. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 28(2), 136-146. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2020.1810768
Wright, S. C., Aron, A., McLaughlin-Volpe, T., & Ropp, S. A. (1997). The extended contact effect: Knowledge of cross-group friendships and prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(1), 73-90. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.73.1.73
Yildirim, Y., Keshavarzi, G., & Aman, A. R. (2022). Does play-based experience provide for inclusiveness? A case study of multi-dimensional indicators. Child Indicators Research, 15(6), 2197-2214 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-022-09951-3
Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(39), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0
التنزيلات
منشور
إصدار
القسم
الرخصة
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).


