Teachers’ conceptions of inclusive education and learning experience design in Higher Education

Abstract

Inclusive education constitutes a central challenge for higher education. In this way, inclusion depends on the design of learning experiences, curricular adaptation strategies, and collaborative teaching practices in response to shared challenges. The objective of this study is to analyze teachers’ conceptions of inclusive education and their relationship with the design of learning experiences in higher education. The research was conducted using a qualitative, descriptive–interpretative approach. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire administered to 116 faculty members from a public university in Ecuador. Data analysis was carried out through a thematic analysis, which made it possible to identify categories related to the understanding of inclusion, pedagogical design, curricular adaptation, feedback, and teacher collaboration. The results show that faculty primarily associate inclusive education with attention to diversity and student participation; however, these conceptions are largely situated at a methodological and individual level. It is concluded that there is a gap between inclusive discourse and the pedagogical structure underlying the design of learning experiences, highlighting the need to strengthen training processes oriented toward inclusive education and Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education.