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Fostering Inclusive Learning Environments in Secondary Schools
- Introduction
- What is an inclusive learning environment?
- Why is it important for your classrooms to be an inclusive learning environment?
- How to foster inclusive learning environments
- Establishing the rules for an inclusive learning environment
- Integrating students into the learning environment
- Setting task types that are conducive to an inclusive learning environment
- Encouraging empathy skills
- Promoting and rewarding good behaviour
- Final thoughts about creating an inclusive learning environment
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Introduction
One of the key aims in Irish education, and indeed European education, is to recognise the importance of diversity within every classroom and ensure that regardless of a student’s characteristics, they have the opportunity to be successful. In essence, diversity refers to ways in which people are different, and often includes students’ cultural background sand learning styles (including difficulties). Therefore, it is vital that the modern European secondary school classroom is an inclusive learning environment.

What is an inclusive learning environment?
An inclusive learning environment is one in which all students, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds, have access to high-quality learning opportunities. Within our language classrooms, it’s likely that we’ve come across students with learning difficulties, which might require us to adapt the way we teach. Also, global political issues have led to an increased number of refugees seeking safe haven in Europe, resulting in classrooms becoming more representative of a wider range of backgrounds and cultures. In such diverse classrooms, fostering inclusivity is not just a moral imperative but also essential for creating an effective learning environment.
Why is it important for your classrooms to be an inclusive learning environment?
As secondary school teachers, it’s our responsibility to ensure that every student feels safe, valued, and empowered in the classroom. In order for this to happen, classrooms need to inclusive learning environments which celebrate diversity and gives students the best possible chance to thrive.

How to foster inclusive learning environments
There are several ways to create inclusive learning environments, including establishing clear rules, integrating students from all backgrounds, setting tasks conducive to inclusivity, encouraging empathy skills, and promoting good behaviour.
Establishing the rules for an inclusive learning environment
It is essential that you as the teacher set clear and consistent rules for behaviour and communicate them to your students. Think carefully about what the rules should be and consider how to make them fair and inclusive, taking into account the diverse needs of your students. It’s often difficult to come up with these rules on your own, so get together with your teaching colleagues and discuss each other’s experiences working with students with learning difficulties or refugees. Every member of the staff room brings a different perspective, so this type of discussion can form the foundation for a school-wide set of rules that are communicated to all students at the beginning of the academic year.
Once it has been decided what approach to adopt, clearly communicate your expectations of an inclusive learning environment to your students, and consistently enforce them. Right from the outset, encourage students to listen to each other, share their ideas and opinions respectfully, and work together towards common goals. It might even be helpful to provide students with a list of ready-to-go sentence frames, especially if the language of the classroom is not their native tongue. For example, in English, students might be shown how to ask questions politely with the would form and be given a set of phrases to be used during debates to agree with or refute the opinions of others politely. It’s also vital to provide guidance on effective communication strategies, such as active listening and constructive feedback. However, it’s not enough to just tell them to do this. You as the teacher should give examples of how to actively listen and model how to give feedback constructively.
Integrating students into the learning environment
When it comes to refugee students, create a welcoming and supportive environment by acknowledging and respecting their cultural backgrounds, languages, and experiences. Provide opportunities for them to share their stories, traditions, and talents with their classmates, helping to foster a sense of belonging and acceptance. Nevertheless, remember that this is not a one-way information stream. Refugee students should also be encouraged to learn about the culture of the place they now call home and students who were brought up there can also tell their stories and relate their own ideas and opinions. Such an approach allows for a mutual exchange between students, so that everyone in the classroom feels included.
As for students with learning difficulties, it’s important not to overly shine the spotlight on them, as this might make them withdraw into themselves. When such students are working collaboratively, make them feel part of the group and treat them as you would any other student.
However, the way that you deal with them individually ought to differ. For instance, you might differentiate tasks to meet the diverse needs of your students, including those with learning difficulties or language barriers. For example, those with weaker language skills might be given shorter texts to read with less complex language, while a dyslexic student might be expected to write less than their counterparts or express their answers and views orally. Whether or not your students have special educational needs, using a variety of teaching strategies, materials and assessments allows you to accommodate different learning styles and abilities.
Outside the classroom, you can provide additional support and resources for students who require extra help, such as one-on-one tutoring, peer mentoring, or assistive technology. If it’s possible within your institution, collaborate with special education teachers, language support staff, and other professionals to ensure that all students receive the support they need to succeed.
Setting task types that are conducive to an inclusive learning environment
Collaborative learning activities, such as group and pair work, provide valuable opportunities for students to interact with their peers and learn from each other, whether it be to share academic knowhow or explore each other’s culture. However, it’s essential to structure these activities in a way that promotes inclusivity and ensures that all students can participate effectively. When forming groups or pairs, consider the diverse needs and abilities of your students and aim for a balance of strengths and weaknesses within each group and provide support and scaffolding as needed. As mentioned previously, this might mean lowering expectations for certain students or monitoring carefully so as to be ready to intervene if they need your assistance.
Moreover, it must be pointed out that before starting any group or pair work, provide clear instructions and clarify expectations. Ensure that all students understand their roles and responsibilities and have the necessary resources and support to complete the task successfully. If there are students within your classroom who may have issues with language comprehension, slow down when giving instructions, simplify your vocabulary and provide demonstrations before asking students to start their group work.
Encouraging empathy skills
Empathy is a fundamental skill that enables students to understand and appreciate the perspectives and experiences of others and it must be taught explicitly. Ensure that you allocate time for students to get to know each other before thrusting them into the demands of the subject you’re teaching. This might include using a range of icebreaker activities at the start of the school year. You should also ensure that all students have had a chance to interact with all of their classmates. Mingle activities where students get on their feet and have to move around the classroom and ask each other survey questions are an excellent way of doing this. If the task involves sitting down at their desks and working, keep a track of who works with who and vary it from lesson to lesson. What you don’t want is for students to have their own ‘place’ in the classroom, where they sit every day and talk to the same students. This creates distance between students and cliques might be formed.
However, it’s not enough to just ask students to talk to each other and work with different classmates. It’s imperative to engage students in activities that require them to imagine themselves in someone else’s shoes and consider different points of view, whether they be those of students within the classroom, or taking into consideration a wider perspective that goes beyond the classroom. For example, you could ask students to write from the perspective of a character in a story or role-play a real-life situation from multiple viewpoints, and you might even discreetly link this to the situation of one or more of your students.
Promoting and rewarding good behaviour
Maintaining a positive and respectful classroom environment is essential for promoting learning and ensuring the well-being of all students. Reinforce positive behaviour by praising students for their efforts, achievements, and contributions to the classroom community. Use a variety of rewards and incentives, such as verbal praise, stickers, or class privileges, to motivate and encourage students to behave appropriately. Teach students conflict resolution strategies and encourage them to resolve conflicts peacefully and respectfully. Intervene promptly to de-escalate any conflicts that arise and help students find mutually acceptable solutions.
Just as important is for teachers to provide an effective role model for students. Show compassion and understanding towards your students, colleagues, and members of the school community, and encourage students to do the same. Practise what you preach so that students can clearly see that you also follow the rules that you expect them to adhere to.
Final thoughts about creating an inclusive learning environment
While having a classroom with a diverse range of students might seem like a huge challenge, it is not beyond our capabilities to rise to it. By employing some of the above mentioned strategies, we can ensure that our classrooms are safe, comfortable spaces in which students from all backgrounds have the highest chances of being successful academically and developing into empathetic, respectful young adults.
Author: Paul Finnerty, Erasmus+ Coordinator, Atlas Language School.