An international systematic review of the ICF in Education: Cross-language comparisons from Chinese, German, Italian, and Portuguese publications

Lin-Ju Kang ^1,2 Alida Naude ^3* Andre Rocha ⁴ Ines Alves ⁵ Gregor Ross Maxwell ⁶ Marta Moretti ⁷ Michelle Proyer ⁸ Linjun Shi ⁹ Raphael Zahnd ¹⁰ Juan Bornman ¹¹

• ¹ Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Changhua, Taiwan
• ² Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taichung County, Taiwan
• ³ University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
• ⁴ Santa Catarina Foundation for Special Education FCEE, Santa Catarina, Brazil
• ⁵ University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
• ⁶ UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Troms, Norway
• ⁷ Zurich University of Teacher Education, Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
• ⁸ University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
• ⁹ Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, Tianjin Municipality, China
• ¹⁰ University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Windisch, Switzerland
• ¹¹ Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF), established by the World Health Organization (WHO), provides a biopsychosocial framework for understanding and addressing human functioning and disability. This systematic review examines the application of the ICF in educational contexts across four non-English languages: Chinese, German, Italian, and Portuguese. The findings reveal significant cross-cultural and linguistic variations in interpretation and implementation, shaped by each country's socio-political, historical, and educational landscape. By analyzing 54 peer-reviewed publications, this review identifies key practical applications of the ICF in fostering inclusive educational practices. The study highlights how the ICF has influenced a shift from medicalized models of disability toward holistic, participation-centered approaches. Specifically, the ICF is used in Chinese literature to guide activity-based assessments in special education, in German studies as a broad theoretical framework, and in Italian and Portuguese research as a practical tool for inclusive education in mainstream settings. Despite its potential, challenges remain in cross-cultural integration, including inconsistencies in adoption and the need for deeper application beyond theoretical references. To enhance the ICF's impact in education, this review underscores the necessity for training, cross-cultural collaboration, and policy refinement. Strengthening educators' and policymakers' understanding of ICF principles can facilitate its integration into mainstream education, ensuring a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for students with disabilities and those requiring additional support.