Inclusive education has been in place for approximately three decades in Hong Kong, and previous research has predominantly focused on examining its effectiveness from the perspectives of teachers, policy makers, and healthcare professionals. However, there has been limited investigation into the personal experiences of students with special educational needs (SEN) who are integrated into mainstream schools. This study employing narrative inquiry explores the identity formation of eight SEN students throughout their 20-year learning journey within Hong Kong’s inclusive education system. The results revealed that the participants developed an identity of inferiority, which encompassed three key themes: experiencing school bullying, feeling isolated and burdened, and adopting a mindset of patience. The findings contribute to our understanding of the social relationship development, problem-solving tendencies, and self-concept of SEN students in inclusive education. The study highlights the limitations of inclusive education and provides implications for enhancing the quality of inclusive education in Hong Kong.
Keywords
identity, special educational needs, university students, inclusive education, narrative inquiry
Author Bio(s)
Dr. Jesse W. C. Yip is Assistant Professor of the Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies at The Education University of Hong Kong. Dr. Yip is a discourse analyst. His research interests include healthcare discourse, identity studies, computer-mediated communication, pragmatics, and corpus linguistics. He holds the hope that his knowledge of discourse analysis can make valuable contributions towards enhancing health communication, improving mental well-being, nurturing social relationships, and cultivating care cultures.
Dr. NG Hoi Nga Anna is Dean of Students cum Associate Professor of Ip Ying To Lee Yu Yee School of Techno-Humanities of Saint Francis University. She is a registered social worker, certified sex therapist, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, certified Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit practitioner, Personality Dimension Trainer, and a Senior Counseling and Training consultant of Caritas Human Empowerment and Achievement Training. She serves as the Chairperson of the Hong Kong Association of Sexuality Educators, Researchers and Therapists since 2017. Associate Fellow, of Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association, and Board of Governors member, End Child Sexual Abuse Foundation. She is the Founder and Coordinator of the Research Unit on Love, Marriage, and Family. Besides, she is also a magazine and newspaper columnist who has been interviewed by radio and TV programmes in promoting sexuality education. She has been guest speaker for various public sexuality education seminars. Her research interest includes outcome evaluation of holistic care intervention workshops and marital counselling, students with special educational needs, sexual health and sexuality education, female penetrative intercourse difficulty, sexual self-concept of female adult survivors of child sexual abuse, related factors of female sexual dysfunction, and psychological health of primary and secondary school students.
Yip, J. W. C, & Ng, A. H. N. (2026). Constructing an inferior identity: Special educational needs students under inclusive education in Hong Kong. The Qualitative Report, 31(9), 6712-6730.
