Analysis of Research trends of Inclusive Playground
Authors:   Korean Association For Learner-Centered Curriculum And Instruction, Park HyuKyoung , Park SeongHun 
Published: September 2023

Objectives This study is to analyze the research trend in Korea on ‘inclusive playground’ that can be used by both
disabled and non-disabled people and men and women of all ages.
Methods As a research method, a content analysis was conducted on papers registered in KCI and RISS as a literature
study. The subject of analysis was searched for ‘inclusive playground’, and a total of 10 articles were identified,
and they were analyzed without distinction between academic thesis, presentation thesis, and dissertation.
The analysis was based on year, issuing institution, research method and subject.
Results As a result of the analysis of results, the study on the inclusive playground started with one in 2015, before
the integrated playground was first created, and 2-3 studies were conducted every year from 2017 to 2019
after the integrated playground was created in 2016. Since then, papers from 2020-2021 have not appeared, presumably
due to the impact of Covid-19. After that, another study will be shown in 2022. As for the type of publication,
it was confirmed that there were 6 academic articles, 2 presentation articles, and 2 other articles. A total
of 10 studies have been conducted for about 8 years from 2015 to the present, indicating that research on inclusive
playgrounds is insufficient. According to the classification of academic journals, there are 5 designs, 2
landscapes, 1 housing society, and 2 master’s theses. The research method consisted of two each of literature
research, qualitative research, and case study, and four research studies. It was confirmed that it mainly dealt with
the equipment and environment of integrated playgrounds. Among the case studies, one study dealt with the actual
inclusive playground creation process and the other dealt with the design process of an indoor inclusive
playground. As for the research topic, 9 studies dealt with the environmental aspects of design and design and
composition, and 1 other study appeared. Looking at the results of analyzing the issuing organization and research
topics, most of the studies that analyzed or proposed hardware centered on the environment such as design, design,
and composition were conducted.
Conclusions Based on the results of analyzing domestic ‘inclusive playground’ studies, the following implications
are presented. As many designs and design-oriented studies have been shown so far, user-centered field studies
and studies on various topics must be conducted. As barrier-free and inclusive playground are used together
in the research title, the concept of inclusive playground needs to be re-established. In addition, since the inclusive
playgrounds that have already been created are designed mainly for gait and visual impairments, it is found that
they do not accommodate various disabilities, so it is hoped that a study analyzing cases will provide guidelines for
the creation of inclusive playgrounds in the future. Above all, it turns out that the biggest obstacle to the creation
of an inclusive playground is related to the legal system, so research to suggest institutional improvement and direction
of related laws should be conducted. Although there is a social consensus that the inclusive playground
should be expanded, research on this has been insufficient, so research dealing with various perspectives and
topics should be activated. In particular, it was found that the usage rate of inclusive playground is higher for
non-disabled people than for disabled people, and that the general public's awareness of inclusive playgrounds
is low, so it is also necessary to spread awareness of inclusive playgrounds. Lastly, in preparation for a super-aged
society with a low birth rate, it is necessary to preemptively expand and utilize the inclusive playground as an inclusive
playground for the entire life cycle of both men and women of all ages, as well as the integration of disabled
and non-disabled peo