COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION: A THEORETICAL REVIEW OF FOUNDATIONS, ADAPTATIONS, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Abstract

Although Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) has been applied to instructional design for decades, its application to special education has frequently been done faster than the theoretical checking process. Numerous studies use CLT’s terminology without considering whether a theory designed for typically developing learners applies to learners with special educational needs (SEN). This paper is a theoretical review, following the approach described by Grant and Booth (2009). It examines how CLT has been carried into special education, where that transfer has been adapted with care, and where it has simply been assumed. The review is based on a structured literature base for the core constructs of a CLT and twelve disability categories. It also compares CLT to five theories that are also used by special educators: working memory theory, the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML), explicit instruction, universal design for learning (UDL), and executive function theories. The synthesis finds real theoretical extension in some areas, but shallow or borrowed use in others. There are several assumptions that have not been sufficiently tested, such as the assumption that the limits of WM are homogeneous across disability types. The paper suggests guidelines for future theoretical and empirical research.

Keywords: cognitive load theory, special education, instructional design, theoretical review

Ethics and Conflict of Interest

All ethical rules were observed at each stage of the research. The author declares that he acted in accordance with ethical rules in all processes of the research. This study is a theoretical literature review and did not involve human participants, animals, or identifiable personal data. Therefore, ethical approval and informed consent were not required. The author declares that they do not have any conflict of interest with other persons, institutions or organizations.

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