Outcome-Based Education

An educational approach that focuses on measuring student achievement through specific, predetermined outcomes or competencies rather than on the process of learning itself. In disability and special education contexts, outcome-based education can be controversial because it tends to reduce complex human development to quantifiable behaviours and standardised benchmarks, potentially overlooking the broader social, emotional, and creative needs of students with disabilities. Critics from disability studies argue that this framework can lead to narrow, deficit-focused goals in Individualised Education Programs (IEPs) that prioritise compliance and measurable performance over autonomy, self-expression, and quality of life.