Mapping hospital education research through an inclusive education lens: a focused systematic mapping review

Hospital education research spans multiple disciplines and uses inconsistent terminology. This focused systematic mapping review examined literature indexed in Scopus and Web of Science using three predefined search phrases: ‘hospital pedagogy’, ‘hospital school education’, and ‘education for hospitalized children’. The searches identified 144 records. Following the removal of 36 duplicates, 108 unique records underwent title and abstract screening, resulting in 98 included publications. Of these, 49 were published between 2021 and 2025, indicating increased research activity. Spain showed the strongest geographical concentration within the eligible Scopus subset, followed by Brazil and Chile. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified hospital pedagogy, inclusive education, hospitalised children, and hospital classrooms as prominent terms after removing generic descriptors. Thematic mapping revealed recurring attention to educational continuity, classroom practices, participation, psychosocial support, teacher competence, digital learning, family involvement, and clinical constraints. Viewed through an inclusive education lens, these patterns underscore the importance of maintaining access, participation, and educational continuity during illness-related interruptions. The findings provide a focused overview of research retrieved through the three predefined phrases rather than a comprehensive representation of the entire hospital education field.