This work is closely linked to a wider research project funded by Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain, State Research Agency and FEDER funds European Union [grant numbers PID2020-112761RB-100/ Feder Funds). Based on the understanding that faculty member is a key social factor in the academic success of students with disabilities (Fleming et al., 2017), this paper aims to show the most effective methodological that inclusive faculty members from different fields of knowledge use in their subjects.

Two research questions guided this analysis: 

1)What are the most effective methodologies that faculty from different areas know and use to promote the academic success of all learners?

2)What are the most effective methodologies that faculty know and use to include students with disabilities?

Teaching at university today involves assuming that diversity is common, and students have different ways of learning (Barrington, 2004). It also involves mastering not only the content of a subject, but also knowing how to teach, adjusting to the real needs of students, and making use of varied teaching methods and resources, including ICT (Seale et al., 2020; Tremblay-Wragg et al., 2019).

Effective teaching in Higher Education is adopting a learner-centred approach, with an emphasis on collaborative learning (Rolls et al., 2018). Likewise, learning must be situated and practical when the learning context offers or at least reflects real opportunities to apply the knowledge acquired in their professions (Konstantinou & Miller, 2020). For example, enquiry approaches including simulations, cooperative learning, case study, learning by doing, flipped classroom, problem-based learning, project-based learning; or assessment initiatives with students as producers, co-assessors and self-assessors (Sagy et al., 2019; Tombak & Altun, 2016). 

Other studies conclude that not only effective teaching strategies are necessary, but also positive interactions between faculty members and their students. In this sense, there are investigations which indicate that friendly and close relationships based on respect and welcoming have a high impact on students’ motivation, their social competence, and general well-being (Moriña, 2020; Quinlan, 2016).

However, in relation to research on inclusive teaching methodologies, there are many studies continue to mount declaring that faculty members sometimes fail to facilitate the learning and participation of students, especially those with disabilities (Fernández-Gámez et al., 2020). More and more universities there are professionals who are aware of the importance of making their classes more inclusive, but they do not have enough time or do not know how to do it (Williams & O'Dowd, 2021).

In summary, inclusive teaching methodologies have the potential to make the curriculum more accessible while enriching learning and improving academic outcomes for all students. This paper reveals the experience of faculty members who carry out inclusive practices by teaching with different methodological strategies, and the same time to explore whether there are similarities and differences between areas of knowledge.

The study involved 119 faculty members from different knowledge areas and from 10 Spanish universities. These participants were chosen by their students with disabilities. Specifically, 24 were academics from the area of Arts and Humanities, 14 from STEM, 16 from Health Sciences, 25 from Social and Legal Sciences and 40 from Education. As regards gender, 58.3% were men and 41.66% were women. Most of them were aged between 36 and 60, although seven were under 35 years old and four were over 60. Most had over ten years’ experience, with only six having less than five years’ and twenty-four having between five and ten. All participants had experience working with students with disabilities. To reach out the participants, the disability offices asked students to advise faculty members who had positively influenced their academic experiences and were characterized by developing inclusive practices. When students proposed different faculty members and provided the reasons why they were selected, the research team contacted the faculty members via email and phone call to request their participation in the study. The design of this study was based on a qualitative approach, using the individual semi-structured interview as the main instrument for data collection. Faculty members from different disciplines who did not participate in the study piloted the interview script. Two interviews were conducted with each participant. The first interview analysed the believes and knowledge that participants had in relation to disability; and the second interview studied how participants designed their syllabuses and the educational practices they used. Most of the interviews were held face-to-face. Nevertheless, 18 participants conducted their interviews via Skype and 12 by telephone. The meetings lasted approximately 90 minutes. This research obtained ethical approval from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Likewise, all interviews were audio recorded and participants gave their written consent to the use of the data collected for research purposes. Each participant received transcripts by email so that they could make proposals for change in their transcribed interview. To safeguard the anonymity of all participants, we used numbers in the text (P1-P119). Lastly, transcribed data were analysed progressively using an inductive categories and codes system (Miles & Huberman, 2004). Data processing was carried out using MAXQDA 12 software.

The voices of the participants show how the use of inclusive methodological strategies becomes a decisive factor in ensuring that all students, especially students with disabilities, do not drop out of their degrees (Fleming et al., 2017; Melero et al., 2020). Our study reveals that inclusive faculty members, despite belonging to different disciplines, carry out similar methodological strategies that welcome all their students. Therefore, practising in one area or another is no longer an excuse for being an inclusive professional who promotes active, situated and group and student-centred learning. One of the findings observed in all disciplines is that traditional lectures need to be merged daily with other more participatory, dialogical, cooperative and active methodological strategies using emerging technologies (Rolls et al., 2018; Seale et al., 2020). Indeed, in other two areas (Arts and Humanities and Social and Legal Science), lectures are considered to be the least effective, in fact, by themselves they do not fully cater for diversity (Currin-Percival & Gulahmad, 2020). Other methodological strategy that stands out in all areas was cooperative learning related to mentoring and peer support (Tombak & Altun, 2016). Something similar happened in Social and Legal Sciences and Education, so the participants standed out the importance of strategies based on affection and emotion to welcome and recognise all students. They told us that the best methodological strategy is often not associated with a "specific technique", but also with the human approach of the faculty (Moriña 2020; Quinlan, 2016). In conclusion, this paper shows that the methodological strategies that are effective for any student are also effective for those with a disability. All strategies maximise the learning of every student if they are designed with everyone in mind from the beginning.

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