ENHANCING POSITIVE INCLUSIVE CULTURE IN PEDAGOGY: HOW DO WE ENHANCE INCLUSIVE CULTURES IN PEDAGOGY? – A CASE STUDY OF ARU PETERBOROUGH
A. Mahama, S. Steele
An inclusive pedagogical culture is essential for creating equitable and supportive learning environments. This research explores inclusive pedagogical practices in higher education and aims to enhance inclusivity by identifying best practices where inclusive cultures thrive, developing a framework to accelerate change, and proposing a new model to promote positive inclusivity in higher education. Adopting a qualitative approach and using secondary literature, interviews with students and lecturers, and observations of classroom lessons at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), Peterborough, this research analyses pedagogical strategies, classroom observations, and structured interviews to explore effective methods for reducing barriers, addressing implicit biases, and fostering student engagement. The research will, through a synthesis of successful approaches to inclusivity, translate them into a structured framework, and contribute to the body of pedagogy research that educators can implement. The study will further introduce a new model to cultivate a lecture room culture where all students feel valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. Findings will provide practical insights for educators and institutions promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic settings.
Keywords: Pedagogy, inclusion, equity, student learning experience, higher education.