Major global developments, such as climate change, migration, rising inequalities and demographic shifts, have contributed to the significant diversification of communities and classrooms (Cerna et al., 2021; International Organization for Migration, 2020; OECD, 2016, 2019). The increasing diversity has important implications for education systems, and policy efforts have, in many national contexts, begun to focus on “closing the gap”, in terms of academic outcomes, between students from majority and minority backgrounds (Howard, 2019). The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 calls on the education community to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. Learning environments play an important role in realizing the SDG 4 goals. However, little is known regarding equitable and inclusive learning environments and how these environments can manifest and link to educational outcomes in contemporary education. 

This symposium explores how, and to what extent, learning environments can contribute to creating more equitable and inclusive education futures for learners  in formal education settings. Researchers from Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands and China draw on a range of theories and methodological approaches to interrogate how physical, psycho-social and pedagogical contexts in which learning occurs can support students to achieve their full educational potential and develop a sense of belonging and self-worth irrespective of their personal and social circumstances (Cerna et al. 2021).  Our symposium will provide a preview of a selection of papers which will be part of a Special Issue to be published in the Learning Environments Research Journal in the last quarter of 2024. 

The first paper focuses on physical school spaces. It offers critical insights into how inclusion was prioritised from the outset in the design of vertical secondary schools, a new type of school in Australia. The authors combine capability and salutogenic theories in their conceptualisation of ‘inclusion and thriving’ to explore the diverse experiences of students. Challenges and trade-offs in achieving inclusive facilities for all are illuminated, providing valuable insights for future educational infrastructure development.

The second paper explores ‘wellbeing’, a complex and contested concept which has gained growing attention in education and research in recent years. Using a participatory art-informed photovoice methodological approach, the author explores students’ perspectives and experiences of wellbeing, and of their schools’ wellbeing-related supports in Ireland. 

The third paper describes and discusses a university-wide teaching and learning initiative, developed in the Netherlands, which aims to create a more inclusive learning climate for all students. The ‘Mixed Classroom’ model, which was designed to enhance teachers’ and students’ diversity literacy and to stimulate meaningful interactions within classrooms, will be described and experiences with its implementation discussed. 

The fourth paper focuses on inclusive pedagogies and, specifically, teachers’ conceptions and skills regarding differentiated instructions in China. The authors of the study used a variety of quantitative tools as well as in-depth interviews to explore the relationships between student teachers’ conceptions of diversity, equity and inclusion, their behavioral intentions, and pedagogical practices. Drawing on their findings they make recommendations for strengthening teacher professional development for more inclusive pedagogical spaces. 

Following the four paper presentations, the lead editor of the special issue will discuss and interrogate theoretical perspectives and research findings to illustrate important areas for consideration, challenges and opportunities regarding the conceptualisation and realisation of safe, inclusive and equitable learning environments. Core strands of the learning environments literature as well as the most widely used learning environment measurement tools will be reviewed (Fraser, 2023) to identify and critically discuss how equity issues have been positioned and conceptualised in this body of work so far, and how these conceptualisations may benefit from further development and expansion in the future. 

Cerna, L., Mezzanotte, C., Rutigliano, A., Brussino, O., Santiago, P., Borgonovi, F., & Guthrie, C. (2021). Promoting inclusive education for diverse societies: A conceptual framework. Fraser, B. J. (2023). The Evolution of the Field of Learning Environments Research. Education Sciences, 13(3), 257. Howard, T. C. (2019). Why race and culture matter in schools: Closing the achievement gap in America's classrooms. Teachers College Press. International Organization for Migration (IOM) (2020), World Migration Report 2020, http://file:///C:/Users/Mcbrien_J/Downloads/wmr_2020.pdf OECD (2019), Trends Shaping Education 2019, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2019-en. OECD (2016), Inequality, http://www.oecd.org/fr/social/inequality.htm.