Perceptions and strategies for the inclusion of migrant students: A Systematic review

Increased migration has globally reshaped the social and cultural composition of schools and renewed emphasis on how education systems respond to migrant students’ right to equitable participation has ensued. Despite political and policy commitments to inclusive education, evidence shows that gaps between rhetoric and classroom practices seem pervasive. This systematic review examines how perceptions, practices, and strategies for the inclusion of migrant learners are conceptualised and enacted across primary and secondary education. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 49 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2015 and 2025 were identified across four different databases. Descriptive analysis mapped methodological patterns regarding research paradigms, geographic settings, and participant groups, while qualitative synthesis organised reported perceptions and strategies according to teachers, students, families, and school leadership. Findings reveal both promising practices - such as linguistic support, peer mediation, culturally responsive pedagogy, and family-centred initiatives - and also major hurdles including racism, curricular monoculturalism, limited teacher preparation, weak family–school ties, and feeble institutional coordination. Across the reviewed studies, inclusion appears contingent upon broader socio-political conditions and remains structurally fragile when reduced to symbolic gestures rather than systemic transformation. The review foregrounds the need for intercultural and justice-oriented approaches that recognise migrant students and families as co-constructors of educational communities, informing future research, policy, and professional development agendas.