Inclusive, Equitable and Diverse in Higher Education

Abstract

Inclusive education and attention to diversity have become relevant in higher education institutions in the last few years. However, this concept is broad, and its implementation in practice has nuances and opportunities for improvement. The present research sought to describe the perception of teachers and administrators belonging to strategic units of higher education institutions regarding equitable and inclusive education for diversity, as well as the guidelines provided by the universities where they work. For this purpose, a descriptive qualitative design was used, in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 professionals, and a documentary review of the websites of the 12 universities to which the interviewees belonged was carried out. The information obtained was analysed through thematic analysis to identify patterns, recurring themes, and significant connections. The results show that there is considerable agreement in the understanding of inclusion at the level of rights, access, participation, and recognition of diversities in terms of special educational needs, migration, sexual diversity, socioeconomic level, indigenous peoples, students/parents with young children, and to a lesser extent, ageism. However, an explicit and operational definition is not observed at the institutional level that guides and regulates concrete practices towards equity and justice in access and participation in the university, nor in an effective approach to the diversity of learners and types of learning within the classroom.