The role of lecturers and inclusive education

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of how lecturers respond to students with disabilities, the initial question being: do lecturers aid or hinder students? Findings pertain to a broader research project employing a non-usual research methodology in higher education research and students with disabilities: the biographical-narrative methodology. The general aim is to analyse – by listening to the students themselves – barriers and support identified as affecting access, academic performance and overall perception of the higher education (HE) experience. This paper focuses only on the role that lecturers play in the inclusive education of students with disabilities. Unlike other international research, this paper has explored the barriers and support dif- ferentiating between five fields of knowledge: Health Sciences, Experimental Sciences, Social Sciences, Engineering and Technology and Humanities. As mentioned above, the present paper focuses specifically on one of the objectives of our research project: making an analysis of lecturer-centred data obtained by means of biographical-narrative methodology, by the first time in this field.