University students’ perspectives and (re-)imaginations of inclusive classroom practices. An inclusive and collaborative approach to inclusive education

Despite growing professional and scholarly attention to inclusive education (IE), significant challenges persist in higher education. Little is known about how students interpret and (re-)imagine inclusive classroom practices, yet their unique insider perspectives are essential for developing more inclusive, evidence-based policies and pedagogies. This study examined how students at a Dutch research university perceive, interpret, and (re-)imagine inclusive classroom practices. We conducted Feminist Participatory Action Research, involving eight focus groups and one in-depth interview (N = 42) with active co-creation and visual ethnography. Drawing on and contributing to two key Universal Design for Learning frameworks, we found that students mainly valued multiple practices of academic engagement, alongside diverse practices of social inclusion and engagement, representation and action and expression, extending and refining the literature. From their experiences, we identified six interconnected, mutually reinforcing key practices: (1) optimising relevance, value and authenticity; (2) fostering collaboration, interdependence and collective learning; (3) fostering supportive, respectful lecturer-student interactions; (4) fostering community and belonging; (5) representing a diversity of perspectives and identities in authentic ways; and (6) providing varied assessment types. Our study reveals students’ preferences for inclusive, collaborative, problem-based and impact-driven education approaches and calls for inclusive, comprehensive and systemic implementations.