Inclusive Society

For some children and youth, learning and living at school does not come naturally. What makes each child feel good and learn at school? In the podcast “Every voice matters” we let the children and young people themselves talk about this. What can you learn as a team by really listening to them? And how does this make you think about what you can do in your classroom and school? This podcast aims to inspire and motivate listeners to really listen to the voices of all students. This podcast (a collaboration with Buiten de krijtlijnen) was made with research funds from Arteveldehogeschool, the expertise center Inclusive Society of UCLL and Topunt vzw.Want to know more? On the project page 'Every voice matters' you can find inspiring materials for engaging in this collaboration with students. Listen to the podcast.

The goal of the research project “ProuD To Teach All” is to contribute to the development of schools and school systems that respond to the challenges of the 21st century by providing quality support to students from diverse backgrounds, interests and abilities. ProuD To Teach All worked with professional learning communities (PLGs) in 10 schools spread across Europe. Within the PLGs, teachers and other professionals worked together to find solutions to challenges related to diversity and inclusive pedagogy. The project enables teachers and other education professionals from across Europe to better respond to the uniqueness of each classroom and each student they meet. Thus, they gain a greater sense of professionalism, professional identity and “pride” in their role. Be inspired by the materials on our website ProuD To Teach All!

This scientific research with practical finality aims to strengthen the subject knowledge of physical education (LO) teachers facilitating the learning effect in inclusive settings. Subject knowledge consists of two domains: general subject knowledge (technique, tactics, rules of play and etiquette) and specific subject knowledge (knowledge of curriculum structure and recognizing (and correcting) student errors). Research within LO shows that increasing specific subject knowledge significantly increases student learning gains. Indeed, these teachers are able to adapt their lessons to a diverse group of students. This research was a collaboration between UCLL and KU Leuven.

Behavioral problems and their management is a hot topic and at the same time a challenge in our education system. A lot of teachers in both regular and special education report spending a lot of time correcting off-task behavior (being disobedient, aggressive or impulsive, e.g. talking among themselves, disrupting class, etc.). As a result, active learning time is lost, to the detriment of many students. Consider students with support needs who need more time to learn. We sometimes hear teachers say that it is a lost cause and that they no longer have any impact in the job of teacher. That's something we want to debunk. We advocate a positive preventive approach.

Schools today are more diverse than ever. School teams and teacher education programs are doing their best to tailor their approaches accordingly. Yet there are still students for whom the current approach does not really work.  How can we organize our education more flexibly in order to professionalize ourselves in this together? That is what teacher educators, schools, students and guidance services are looking for answers to together in the pilot project Flexio.

View the achievements and publications of this research on Flexio.

Go to the digital learning environment for diversity and inclusion.

The project aims to equip education and training systems to manage the challenges of the recent shift to online and distance learning. We are also committed to supporting teachers in developing digital competencies and ensuring the inclusiveness of learning opportunities.

Specific objectives:

• equip teachers and teacher educators with pedagogical and digital skills related to the use of open learning resources for integrated digital education and distance learning
• expand the technical-methodological skills of teachers and teacher educators in the application of digital education, taking into account inclusion, with particular attention to underrepresented groups (students with mild intellectual disabilities, students with different orientations, ... )
• Providing teachers and teacher educators with practical materials to support the delivery of quality distance education

Also visit our website Filling the Gap.

Respect, perseverance, self-confidence, ... all difficult concepts that young children with or without disabilities (6-12 years old) are confronted with. It is not easy for them to know these Paralympic and Olympic values, let alone apply them. In order to introduce these children to 'these values and norms' in a playful way, Playdagogy was devised. A specific methodology to use sports as a tool for learning through a clear learning objective a specific structure and a concluding discussion. The sports sessions are designed through the UDL principle so that the children's support needs can be addressed at all times. Trainers in different countries are trained to work with this. This will lower the threshold for sports participation and strengthen trainers within Europe. In addition, sport is optimally used as a lever for inclusion.

Visit the website of the Play'In Together project.

The project enables special education schools and support workers to facilitate the transition to fully inclusive education systems. The project provides special education schools and supporters with access to targeted information on the potential role of support services in the transition to inclusive education, as well as training modules they have created on the UNCRPD, transition models and how their organizations can support the development of fully inclusive educational practices. Visit To Inclusive Education and Beyond for more information.

Higher education should reflect society, but today still relatively few students with a migration background find their way to higher education. This low proportion is problematic, as higher education is an important lever for emancipation and upward social mobility, among other things. Although actions are being taken in various domains, exploratory interviews with experts indicate that these actions are generally fragmented and that there is little insight into the effectiveness of the actions. Also, the actions are often designed top-down without a clear picture of the barriers and enabling factors experienced by students with a migration background in terms of entry and progression in higher education.