Inclusive Pedagogy: exploring faculty perceptions and professional development needs at a North American Catholic university

Abstract

This interpretivist study examines the perceptions and practices of Inclusive Pedagogy among academic staff (faculty) at a North American Catholic university, as well as their professional development needs pertaining to Inclusive Pedagogy implementations. Theoretical interpretations and practical recommendations for Inclusive Pedagogy abound (Moriña, 2020a; Stentiford & Koutsouris, 2021), while many practitioners in higher education lack initial teacher preparation (a reality fourteen out of twenty-three participants described). Using a theoretically flexible heuristic and a conceptual framework of Beliefs, Knowledge, and Actions (Gale et al., 2017; Moriña, 2020a; Rouse, 2008), I conducted semi-structured interviews with the methodological aid of coaching techniques. I analysed the data using Reflective Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021b) supported by NVivo 14. The findings from the qualitative interviews were rich and complex. Participants shared a wealth of (often divergent) perspectives, some of which were consonant with Inclusive Pedagogy literature, and many that were novel. Participants expressed theoretical and normative frameworks, as well as personal convictions that add new complexity to possible conceptualisations of Inclusive Pedagogy. Despite unfamiliarity with the term “inclusive pedagogy” (13/23 participants), many described practices and pedagogical sensibilities that could be described as “inclusive.” Participants shared a range of professional development needs, though (a lack of) Pedagogical Fluency was the most pronounced theme. Finally, I found that the use of coaching techniques, specifically OARS of motivational interviewing (Rosengren, 2017), propelled participant ideation and enhanced my data collection method of semi-structured interviewing. Participant data can inform future conceptualisations of Inclusive Pedagogy and the degree to which the term is understood or even be useful in furthering its purpose. Based on the intersection of previous research and this study’s findings, I provide practical recommendations for educational developers, faculty, and institutions. Chief among these are: providing ongoing HE teacher development through general and discipline-specific support, organisational incentivisation of pedagogy, and a holistic, multi-layered approach to implementing Inclusive Pedagogy