Call for Chapters: Promoting School-Community Partnership and Parent Consultation in Special Needs Schools

Editors

Chiedu Eseadi, University of Johannesburg, South Africa 
Meghna Mehndroo, Chandigarh University
Zadrian Ardi, Universitas Negeri Padang

Call for Chapters

Proposals Submission Deadline: August 10, 2026
 Full Chapters Due: September 19, 2026
 Submission Date: September 19, 2026

Introduction

Learners in special needs schools often face systemic challenges such as limited access to resources, marginalisation, and inadequate individualised support plans. These challenges are frequently compounded by weak school-community ties and insufficient parent consultation. When schools work collaboratively with parents and the community, learners with special educational needs can benefit from a stronger support system that extends beyond the classroom. Such partnerships can lead to improved educational outcomes, enhanced emotional support for learners, and more contextually relevant teaching practices. Despite this recognition, significant gaps exist in understanding how school-community partnerships and parent consultation are structured and implemented within special needs school contexts. There is also limited synthesis of evidence on what works, for whom, and under what conditions in diverse settings. This edited volume responds to this gap by bringing together empirical studies, theoretical reflections, and practice-based insights that explore school-community partnership and parent consultation in special needs education. Specifically, this book addresses the following questions: a) What structures and practices exist for parent consultation and school-community partnerships in special needs schools? b) What barriers and facilitators influence effective school-community partnership and parent consultation in special needs schools? c) What strategies for school-community partnership and parent consultation are seen as successful by educators? By positioning parents and community members not as outsiders but as partners in the educational journey of learners with special educational needs, this book aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on inclusive education. The sharing of insights and lived experiences on this issue may inform institutional practices, policy recommendations and interventions to strengthen school-community partnerships and parent consultation in special needs schools. The focus of this book aligns with global commitments to inclusive education, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Objective

This edited volume seeks to advance both scholarly understanding and practical application of school-community partnerships and parent consultation in special needs schools. It aims to synthesise existing knowledge by bringing together diverse empirical, theoretical, and practice-based contributions that examine how parent consultation and school-community partnerships are structured and implemented across different contexts. The book seeks to identify and critically analyse barriers and enabling factors that shape effective collaboration among schools, families, and communities. This includes structural, cultural, socio-economic, and policy-related influences that affect the sustainability and impact of such partnerships. It further aims to document and examine practices that have demonstrated success in strengthening partnerships in special needs education. By foregrounding lived experiences from educators, parents, and community stakeholders, the book provides insights into what works in real-world settings. This edited volume also intends to advance conceptual and theoretical perspectives by repositioning parents and communities as active partners and co-constructors in the educational process. This contributes to a more relational and participatory understanding of inclusive education. The book seeks to inform policy and practice by offering evidence-based recommendations that can guide the development of inclusive frameworks, consultation models, and partnership strategies within special needs schools. In terms of its contribution to current research, this volume addresses a notable gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of school-community partnerships and parent consultation in special needs education. Furthermore, by incorporating perspectives from underrepresented and resource-constrained contexts, it extends the global discourse and enhances the relevance of inclusive education research aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4

Target Audience

-Academics and researchers will benefit from the book’s theoretical insights, empirical evidence, and integrated perspective on school-community partnerships in special needs education. -Postgraduate students will gain a useful resource for coursework, research design, and thesis development in inclusive and special education. -Education practitioners including teachers, school leaders, and support professionals will find practical strategies to strengthen parent consultation and community engagement. -Parents and caregivers will gain perspectives that support their active and meaningful involvement as partners in their children’s education. -Policy makers and education officials will benefit from evidence-based insights to inform inclusive education policies and partnership frameworks. -Non-governmental organizations and community organisations will use the findings to guide programme development, advocacy, and community-based interventions.

Recommended Topics

-Parent consultation in special schools -School-community partnership -Community involvement in special schools -Collaborative partnerships in special schools -Barriers and facilitators -Structures and strategies for collaboration -Parental involvement in special schools -School school capacity and resources -Special schools as resource centres

Submission Procedure

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before August 10, 2026, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors will be notified by August 20, 2026 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines.Full chapters of a minimum of 10,000 words (word count includes references and related readings) are expected to be submitted by September 19, 2026, and all interested authors must consult the guidelines for manuscript submissions at https://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/before-you-write/ prior to submission. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-anonymized review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to this book publication, Promoting School-Community Partnership and Parent Consultation in Special Needs Schools. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-anonymized peer review editorial process.

All proposals should be submitted through the eEditorial Discovery® online submission manager.

Publisher

This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global Scientific Publishing, an international academic publisher of the "Information Science Reference", "Medical Information Science Reference", "Business Science Reference", and "Engineering Science Reference" imprints. IGI Global Scientific Publishing specializes in publishing reference books, scholarly journals, and electronic databases featuring academic research on a variety of innovative topic areas including, but not limited to, education, social science, medicine and healthcare, business and management, information science and technology, engineering, public administration, library and information science, media and communication studies, and environmental science. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit https://www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2027.

Indexing Information for Prospective Authors

IGI Global Scientific Publishing meets the criteria for inclusion in major indexing services such as Scopus; however, it is important to note that all indexing decisions are made independently by these services. IGI Global Scientific Publishing books are selectively indexed by the indexing organization after publication. Indexing cannot be guaranteed for any book prior to publication, and the indexing organization has complete control over the final selection and timeline.

Important Dates

August 10, 2026: Proposal Submission Deadline
August 20, 2026: Notification of Acceptance
September 19, 2026: Full Chapter Submission
October 14, 2026: Final Chapter Submission

Inquiries

Chiedu Eseadi
University of Johannesburg
chiedueseadi@gmail.com

Meghna Mehndroo
Chandigarh University
principal.uittr@cumail.in

Zadrian Ardi
Universitas Negeri Padang
zadrian@fip.unp.ac.id
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