Welcome to From Placement to Belonging

This research investigates how national models of primary special education shape the experiences of students, families, educators, and administrators—focusing particularly on the systems in the United States and the Netherlands. It explores a central question: Are students simply placed within existing structures, or are those structures shaped to fit the needs of individual learners?

Beginning with a comparative master’s thesis, the study examines how inclusion is conceptualized and implemented in both countries, how placement decisions are made, and how policy is interpreted by those who live and work within it. Through qualitative interviews with educators, administrators, and parents, the research highlights key differences between the U.S.’s individualized, legally-driven model and the Netherlands’ consensus-oriented, school-matching approach.

Building on this foundation, the doctoral phase of the research will focus more deeply on the Dutch system. During this phase, I plan to spend time in the Netherlands conducting immersive fieldwork in schools and communities. Through on-site observation and longitudinal interviews, I aim to gain a first-hand understanding of how the national Passend Onderwijs ("Appropriate Education") policy is enacted on the ground. This will allow me to explore how the ideas of “fit,” “support,” and “inclusion” are socially constructed and practiced in everyday educational settings.

Together, this research seeks to illuminate the cultural and institutional forces that shape special education and to deepen our understanding of what it means to belong in school—across borders, systems, and lived experiences.