On January 26, 2026, researcher Laia Vila Sellés defended her doctoral thesis “Analysis of the Treatment of Inclusion in the Faculties of Education Sciences of Catalan Universities”, supervised by Patricia Olmos Rueda.
The defense took place in the Graduate Hall of the Faculty of Education Sciences, and the committee was composed of Josep Maria Sanahuja, Maria Pallissera, and Jesús Soldevila.
This thesis analyzes how educational inclusion is conceptualized, promoted, and put into practice in the Faculties of Education Sciences at Catalan universities. The study is based on the idea that universities play a key role not only in access to higher education but also in ensuring the participation, retention, and academic success of all students, especially those from vulnerable groups.
Using a mixed-methods approach, which combines questionnaires for students and faculty with interviews with teaching staff and university services, the research explores how inclusion is understood, which inclusive principles are recognized, which barriers persist, and to what extent policies, protocols, services, and teaching methodologies truly follow an inclusive logic.
The results reveal significant differences in inclusive perceptions and practices depending on the groups, institutions, and educational experiences, highlighting the need to move towards an understanding of inclusion as a structural, shared, and sustained process. In this sense, the thesis identifies shortcomings but also good practices and opportunities for improvement.
Finally, the study proposes an institutional improvement plan aimed at strengthening inclusive culture, governance, support services, and teaching practices, with the goal of contributing to the development of more equitable, accessible, and diversity‑committed universities.
