Enhancing the Experience of Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: Integrating Positive Psychology and Positive Education Within Inclusive Educational Settings

Interdisciplinary education breaks down traditional subject boundaries, fostering a holistic understanding and offering multifaceted solutions to twenty-first-century educational challenges. It equips educators with a well-rounded and interconnected knowledge base that potentially proves the relevance of their teaching and learning experiences in their careers and students’ lives. In special education and inclusion, interdisciplinary collaboration ensures comprehensive support, inclusive classrooms, and personalized educational plans, addressing academic, behavioral, and emotional needs to promote student equity and success. To that end, this chapter aims to explore the positive impact of interdisciplinarity on the experience of students with special educational needs and disabilities, specifically through integrating positive psychology and positive education in inclusive educational settings. The chapter presents literature highlighting core concepts and the significance of positive education, pinpointing major educational theories and models related to this framework. In conclusion, the chapter summarizes key factors needed to help educators transform teaching and learning and make this interdisciplinary endeavor a sustainable success, highlighting the main implications and recommendations for practice and future research.