As the demographics of higher education across the U.S. shift to become more diverse, we must critically analyze our practices through a lens of inclusion. The philosophy that informs inclusive practices is rooted in the idea of emancipatory pedagogy. According to literature, "Emancipatory pedagogy is founded on the notion that education should play a fundamental role in creating a just and democratic society. The main educational aims of this approach are manifestation of humanization, critical conscientization, and a problem-posing education system. Emancipatory pedagogy accordingly seeks to invite both students and teachers to critically analyze the political and social issues as well as the consequences of social inequity" (Nouri & Sajjadi, 2014).
In an effort to make emancipatory education our reality, we must start with the idea of inclusive practices and full participation. Inclusive practices are actions that instructors can take to make sure every person in the classroom is included. Full participation is an affirmative value focused on creating settings that enable people, whatever their identities, backgrounds, or institutional positions, to thrive, realize their capabilities, engage meaningfully in institutional life, and enable others to do the same. It seems simple enough, but some instructors are challenged when applying this concept in the classroom. For this reason we have curated a listing of both barriers and possible strategies and best practices that can be implemented in the learning environment to make sure all students feel valued and comfortable when opting to use their voice.
