Conference Agenda

Inclusive research within educational sciences has been less prominent than in social sciences in general (Seale et al., 2014). Inclusive research, encompassing participatory-, participatory action-, and emancipatory research (Nind, 2014), is defined by Walmsley and Johnson (2003) as: ‘Such research [that] involves people who may otherwise be seen as subjects for the research as instigators of ideas, research designers, interviewers, data analysts, authors, disseminators and users’ (p. 10). In short, in inclusive research the role of the researcher and researched is reevaluated throughout the entire research process. Through this evaluation of and increase in participant involvement, inclusive research can have positive effects on the validity of the research (Baxter et al., 2016; Sergeant et al., 2021; Walmsley et al., 2018). The added validity makes inclusive research methodology equipped for the aim of educational sciences: to broadly apply results to policy and practice (Creswell, 2012).

However, the implementation of inclusive research is not as straight forward as one might hope or as it is often portrayed (Todd, 2012). Inclusive research can be arranged in different ways, all with their own contestations such as who gets to participate, what is meant by active participation and not viewing participant involvement as a checklist (Nind, 2014). As Walmsley (2004) states: ‘There is a need for honesty, transparency, realism and detail when we report how we go about doing research inclusively; different contributions to research should be ‘named and described and recognized for what they are, not for what we wish they could be’ (Walmsley, 2004, p. 69). Making transparent which choices researchers make, based on what reasoning, can clarify the validity, value, and interpretation of the results of research in educational sciences.

In this symposium, we not only make transparent which choices we made in our research and its effects on (the interpretation of) the results but also the challenges that occurred while (attempting) inclusive research, its ethical complexities, and reflections on further implementation. We constructed the following research question:

What are approaches to apply inclusive research methodology to (future-orientated) educational research?

To explore different approaches to apply inclusive research methodology we present three studies in which inclusive methodology is consciously employed and the process and effect hereof. In the first presentation, on Shaping Tomorrow: Inclusive Research for Transformative Education, we discuss the necessity of inclusive methodology, and engaged scholarship, through a study which incorporates student voices in a photovoice method. After which, in the second presentation, Facilitating Intercultural Competence Development among International Students, the choices for inclusive methodology and its limitations are explored while zooming in on the authors’ choice for using case study interviews. In the last presentation, Research with Teachers on Inclusive Higher Education, the effects of methodological choices on the interpretation of results in studies on inclusive higher education is presented while showcasing a tool which helps researchers in reflecting on and designing their own research.

The purpose of the symposium is an in-depth dialogue on various ways to implement inclusive methodology, rationale to implement specific approaches and how to deal with its complexities. After the symposium, participants’ have a sense of different inclusive research approaches, the complexities surrounding inclusive methodologies, tools for implementing inclusive methodologies as well as reflecting on existing research, and a deepened consideration of the importance of engaged scholarship within the educational sciences.

In the educational sciences, the primary goal of research lies in its ability to generalize results to policy and practice (Creswell, 2012). Enhancing the generalizability of research outcomes can be achieved through the active involvement of citizens throughout the research data life cycle (Ramcharan et al., 2004). This approach establishes a meaningful connection between research and society, inherently embracing inclusivity by addressing societal challenges. This contribution delves into the vital significance of research approaches that involve active participation, which aim to bridge the divide between educational research and practice. The goal of this study is "engaged scholarship," which emphasizes active collaboration between students, teachers, researchers, and the general public. It specifically emphasizes critical pedagogy and action research (Cahnmann-Taylor & Siegesmund, 2017; Van der Vaart et al., 2018). The approach taken in this study is demonstrated through a case study in higher education, with a specific emphasis on engaging and inclusive research through photovoice. The case study emphasizes both the methodological aspects of participatory research and the ethical complexities of conducting inclusive research, like data ownership and stigmatization, and the importance of considering how different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds would conceptualize education in a different way. It also discusses the responsibilities and activities involved in collaborative research; specific precautions must be implemented to safeguard participants' privacy throughout the entire research project, such as “privacy by design” or “data equity (Gonzalez et al., 2022). Our focus is on promoting inclusiveness and actively involving a wide range of perspectives. An in-depth analysis of the "Photovoice" case study (Wang & Burris, 1997) highlights the effectiveness of engaging and inclusive methods. Through the active participation of students as co-researchers, we are able to enrich their perspectives and foster a sense of ownership and empowerment, while also valuing and embracing diversity. The findings underscore the relationship between ethical considerations, empowerment, collective ownership, and collaborative creation. This study emphasizes the importance of using participatory and inclusive research methods to enhance meaningful connections and interactions in educational research. In conclusion, this study adds to our understanding of the important connection between education and inclusive research, as well as the methods used in such research. The findings highlight the importance of embracing participatory and inclusive research methods for data collection and translation into educational practice. This approach fosters a strong synergy between education and research, ultimately leading to sustainable improvements in the educational landscape.

Cahnmann-Taylor, M., & Siegesmund, R. (2017). Arts-based research in education. Routledge. Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Pearson Education, Inc. Gonzalez, N., Alberty, E., Brockman, S., Nguyen, T., Johnson, M., Bond, S., O’Connell, K., Corriveau, A., Shoji, M., & Streeter, M. (2022). Education-to-Workforce Indicator Framework: Using Data to Promote Equity and Economic Security for All. Mathematica. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED628916 Ramcharan, P., Grant, G., & Flynn, M. (2004). Emancipatory and participatory research: How far have we come. The international handbook of applied research in intellectual disabilities, 83-111. Van der Vaart, G., van Hoven, B., & Huigen, P. P. (2018). Creative and arts-based research methods in academic research. Lessons from a participatory research project in the Netherlands. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 19(2), 30.

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Inclusive higher education is a matter of inclusive education and research. Inclusive research, in which participants actively contribute in every phase of the research process (Walmsley & Johnson, 2003) leads to the strengthening of the validity of the research (Sergeant et al., 2021). Inclusive research is therefore a point of attention for governments and universities in the Netherlands (OCW, 2020; VH, 2022). However, the implementation of inclusive research methodology is in various ways complex there being no one-size-fits-all approach to achieve inclusion (Nind, 2014; Griffiths et al., 1998). To support educational researchers in their quest for creating valuable research which is applicable to practice, three academic research groups in the Netherlands designed an inclusive methodology tool: ‘The 3-Rs of inclusive research: reasons, rolls, and reflexivity’. The tool aims to get researchers to reflect, through an interactive and playful manner, on their own research and methodological choices herein. This all with an inclusive methodology lens and attention to the eventual societal relevance and aim of the research. In this presentation, we showcase the tool’s implementation through studies in our academic group in which inclusive research methodology is, consciously and deliberately, applied in more and lesser matter. By employing honesty and transparency on the (inclusive) research methodologies and rationale behind the chosen methodology, the validity, value, and interpretation of the results is made clear (Walmsley, 2004). The studies consist of the following methodologies: a systematic literature review, surveys, interviews, and interventions, all on teachers’ understanding of inclusive higher education. The studies illustrate the need for reflection on one’s own methodologies through an inclusive methodology lens while also showing the complexity and nuances within applying inclusive methodologies. By providing a tool on inclusive methodology and an example of how to implement it, we aim to give researchers the ability to implement this lens to their own research practices. In this presentation, we reflect on the usability of the tool for employing inclusive methodology and its use in our studies on inclusive higher education.

Griffiths,, M. (1998), Educational Research for Social Justice: Getting Off the Fence, Buckingham: Open University Press. Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap (2020). Nationaal acteplan voor meer diversiteit en inclusie in het hoger onderwijs en onderzoek. Geraadpleegd op 16 januari 2024, pdf (overheid.nl) Nind, M. (2014). What is Inclusive Research? London: Bloomsbury Sergeant, S. A. A. (2021). Working Together, Learning Together: Towards Universal Design for Research. [PhD Thesis - Research and graduation internal, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam]. Gompel&Svacina Uitgevers. Vereniging van Hogescholen. (2022). Position Paper: samen werken aan inclusieve hogescholen met oog voor diversiteit. Geraadpleegd op 16 januari 2024, 085_044_08_PP_INCLUSIE_DEFDEFDEF.pdf (vereniginghogescholen.nl) Walmsley,, J. and Johnson,, K. (2003). Inclusive Research with People with Learning Disabilities: Past, Present and Futures, London: Jessica Kingsley. Walmsley, J. (2004). Inclusive learning disability research: the (nondisabled) researcher’s role, British Journal of Learning Disabilities 32: 65–71