Inclusive education has become a prominent priority on international agendas. In higher education, the growing concern over dropout rates and mental health challenges, coupled with the increasing diversity of students entering universities, highlights the pressing need for institutional changes. These changes should prioritize the development of inclusive environments that foster students’ success and well-being. Using the Self-Determination Theory as theoretical background, this study aims to analyze how inclusive cultures, policies and practices contribute to the subjective well-being of higher education students (N = 800), considering the mediational role of psychological needs satisfaction. Participants responded to the Portuguese versions of the Scale of Perceptions of Inclusion in the University, the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale, and the Flourishing Scale. The results of path analysis revealed that inclusive policies have a direct effect on students’ well-being, while inclusive cultures and practices affect well-being indirectly through the satisfaction of the needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy. These findings highlight the dynamic relationship between contextual and psychological variables and suggest the need for inclusive policies that address multiple forms of diversity. Higher education institutions should create inclusive environments that foster autonomy, a sense of competence, and the development of positive interpersonal relationships, thereby contributing to students’ well-being.

Authors:
Márcia Laranjeira, University of Lisbon, Portugal
Maria Odília Teixeira, University of Lisbon, Portugal

About the Presenter(s)
Márcia Laranjeira is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology and a researcher at the Research Center for Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, Portugal

Connect on Linkedin
https://linkedin.com/in/márcia-laranjeira-b88185251

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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