This paper explores the use of photovoice (Wang & Burris, 1997) as a research–teaching approach in inclusive higher education. Photovoice has been widely used as a participatory research methodology (Brown, 2024), particularly in studies concerning marginalised groups and communities (Suprapto et al., 2020). Less attention has been paid, however, to its pedagogical potential when employed within higher education teaching contexts (Wass et al., 2019). Drawing on photovoice projects conducted in a university course for students with intellectual disabilities, this paper reframes photovoice not only as a method for generating research data, but as a pedagogical approach that can support inclusive teaching and learning in higher education (Camedda, forthcoming).

The paper will address the following question: In what ways can photovoice function as a research–teaching approach within inclusive higher education contexts? Building on empirical findings, the contribution offers a conceptual and reflective analysis of photovoice at the intersection of research and teaching, focusing on how it supports inclusivity in higher education settings. The emphasis is placed on the pedagogical processes activated through photovoice, including reflection, dialogue, and the co-construction of meaning, and on how these processes align with principles of inclusive education.

The theoretical framework underpinning the paper draws on inclusive education theories (Nilholm, 2021), participatory research approaches (Smith Hill et al., 2025), and literature on the research–teaching nexus in higher education  (Gros et al., 2020). Within this framework, photovoice is conceptualised as a pedagogical practice that creates opportunities for students to draw on lived experience, engage critically with their learning environments, and participate actively in knowledge production. The paper also engages with scholarship that emphasises the integration of research and teaching (Brew, 2012), arguing that photovoice offers a concrete way of embedding research processes within teaching activities.

In this paper, these findings are not treated as only related to studies of intellectual disability per se, but rather as examples of how photovoice can be used within inclusive higher education to support participation and agentic learning (Smith & Meyers, 2025). The focus is therefore on the potential of photovoice as an inclusive pedagogical and research approach, moving beyond its use as a methodology toward a broader pedagogical framing (Schell et al., 2009).

The purpose of the paper is to contribute to ongoing discussions about inclusive pedagogy in higher education by offering a conceptual reframing of photovoice as a research–teaching approach. By foregrounding the pedagogical dimensions of photovoice, the paper aims to support educators and researchers interested in integrating creative and participatory methodologies into higher education teaching in ways that are inclusive, reflective, and ethically grounded.

The paper adopts a qualitative, reflective methodological approach based on findings from empirical studies that employed photovoice in higher education contexts. The methodological focus is on re-examining these studies through a pedagogical lens, rather than on generating new empirical data. The analysis draws on multiple photovoice projects in which students were invited to use photography to explore and reflect on their experiences of higher education. These projects were originally designed as participatory research studies and followed established photovoice processes, including image production, individual reflection, group discussion, and dissemination. For the purposes of this paper, attention is directed towards how these processes were embedded within teaching and learning contexts, and how they functioned pedagogically. The paper adopts a reflective analytical approach, drawing from the findings of two iterations of the photovoice project conducted with two different cohorts of students in the same university. The findings are analysed adopting a multimodal thematic analysis approach (Monney & Bhui, 2023) informed by the research-teaching nexus (Gros et al, 2020). Drawing on the documented design, facilitation, and reflective processes of these projects, the analysis focuses on how photovoice was embedded within teaching and learning contexts and how it supported participation, dialogue, and student agency. Ethical considerations originally addressed in the empirical studies are revisited from a pedagogical perspective. Issues such as consent, representation, power relations, and emotional safety are considered as integral to the use of photovoice within teaching contexts, highlighting the responsibilities associated with participatory and creative approaches in higher education.

The paper argues that photovoice can be productively understood as a research–teaching approach that supports inclusive pedagogy in higher education. When embedded within teaching contexts, photovoice creates opportunities for reflective and dialogical learning, enabling students to engage with academic content through lived experience and visual expression. The analysis highlights how photovoice supports inclusive pedagogical practices by valuing diverse forms of knowledge and expression, fostering participation, and encouraging critical reflection on learning environments. It also demonstrates how photovoice can contribute to bridging the divide between research and teaching by integrating research processes into learning activities. At the same time, the paper emphasises that photovoice is not inherently inclusive. Its pedagogical potential depends on careful design, facilitation, and ethical sensitivity. Without attention to power relations, participation structures, and institutional contexts, photovoice risks reproducing exclusionary dynamics. Overall, the paper contributes to discussions on inclusive higher education by offering a conceptual reframing of photovoice grounded in empirical experience. It provides a basis for further reflection on the role of creative and participatory research methodologies in supporting inclusive teaching and learning in higher education.

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