Citation: Naude, A.; Kang, L.-J.; Moretti, M.; Rocha, A.d.S.; Maxwell, G.R.D.; Bornman, J. Using the ICF to Guide Inclusion in the African Educational Context: A Scoping Review. Educ. Sci. 2024, 14, 1290. https://doi.org/10.3390/ educsci14121290 Academic Editor: Garry Hornby Received: 6 August 2024 Revised: 15 November 2024 Accepted: 17 November 2024 Published: 25 November 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). Review Using the ICF to Guide Inclusion in the African Educational Context: A Scoping Review Alida Naude 1 , Lin-Ju Kang 2,3 , Marta Moretti 4,5 , André de Souza Rocha 6,7 , Gregor Ross Dørum Maxwell 8 and Juan Bornman 9, * 1 Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa; alida@amtronix.co.za 2 Graduate Institute of Early Intervention, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan; linjukang@mail.cgu.edu.tw 3 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan 4 Amici per il Centrafrica Carla Maria Pagani ONG, Bangui BP. 789, Central African Republic; marthy.moretti@gmail.com 5 Centre for Teaching and Transcultural Learning, Zurich University of Teacher Education, 8090 Zurich, Switzerland 6 Ana Maria Philippi Rehabilitation Center, Santa Catarina Foundation for Special Education FCEE, São José 88110694, Brazil; andredsr@gmail.com 7 Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, University of Nevada Las Vegas UNLV, Las Vegas 89154, USA 8 Resource Centre for Education, Learning, and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway; gregor.maxwell@uit.no 9 Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa * Correspondence: juanb@sun.ac.za; Tel.: +27-21-9389494 Abstract: While the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) has significantly contributed to educational research supporting inclusive initiatives worldwide, its application in special education contexts across the African continent remains unclear. This study aims to explore how the ICF is currently used in the field of education in Africa, with an emphasis on children with disabilities, although not restricted to this group. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) diagram shows that the 11 African-specific databases that were searched yielded 256 records. These records were uploaded to Rayyan, an online collaborative review platform. First, 158 duplicates were removed. Following title and abstract level screening, six records were eligible at full-text level, of which four were excluded, as they focused on the health context. The findings from the remaining two studies were compared and discussed in terms of similarities and differences. Both articles addressed the interactive nature between an individual’s activities and participation and environmental factors, agreeing on the importance of addressing societal barriers to inclusion. The use of the ICF in educational settings across Africa is still scarce, thus requiring strategies that could drive inclusive education for children with disabilities on the African continent. Keywords: Africa; barriers; disability; environment; facilitators; ICF; inclusion 1. Introduction Africa’s child population will reach 1 billion by 2055, making it the largest child population among all continents [1]. Quality education plays a crucial role in enhancing individuals’ overall quality of life and serves as a significant tool for breaking the cycle of poverty. By fostering educational opportunities, equality can be advanced across var- ious dimensions: between genders, among children with and without disabilities, and between those from different socio-economic backgrounds [2]. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Africa has made notable gains in the number of children attending school. Educ. Sci. 2024, 14, 1290. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121290 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/education