STEM Inclusion through Assessment and Intercultural Collaboration: A Dialogue between Spain and Mexico

Abstract

The inclusion of students with disabilities in STEM programs remains a pending challenge in Ibero-American higher education. This study compares inclusion experiences and barriers in Mexico and Spain through systematic literature review and public policy analysis, using Bereday's comparative method. Findings reveal that both countries maintain university enrollment rates for whose gaps are particularly pronounced in STEM disciplines, identifying barriers at three levels, technological (incompatibility of specialized software with assistive technologies), pedagogical (lack of teacher training in universal design), and institutional (regulatory fragmentation in Mexico). Results underscore the urgency of strengthening specific regulatory frameworks and standardizing institutional support services.