Embedded Instruction for Young Children with Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Experimental Research Studies

Abstract

Embedded instruction is a recommended practice to support development and learning of young children with disabilities in inclusive early childhood settings and natural environments. The number of individual studies investigating the impact of embedded interventions on child learning outcomes has increased in recent years. In the current systematic review and meta-analysis, we examined the methodological quality, characteristics, and effects of single-case experimental research studies focused on embedded instruction to determine whether the evidence from these studies suggest embedded instruction as an evidence-based practice for young children with disabilities. We evaluated rigor of the studies using What Works Clearinghouse (2017) design standards and quality indicators of single-case experimental research, and calculated treatment effect estimates using Tau-U. A total of 10 single-case experimental research studies with 21 participants published between 1993 and 2017 met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review and metaanalysis. The studies were conducted by seven different research groups with no overlapping authorship at seven different institutions across two countries. The mean treatment effect of embedded instruction on child learning outcomes across the 10 studies was .80. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide sufficient evidence to consider embedded instruction as an evidence-based practice for young children with disabilities and to support its continued use in enhancing the development and learning of young children with disabilities in inclusive early childhood settings. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.