The three-year "EQui-T" project (European Quality Development System for Inclusive Education and Teacher Training) was launched on 15 June 2023 and will conclude on 14 June 2026. It is funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Partnerships for Excellence programme. The project aims to enhance the quality of inclusive education in Europe by developing and disseminating Open Inclusive Educational Resources (OIER). Its main objective is to support inclusive teaching by providing accessible and adaptable tools to meet the needs of all students, with a particular focus on equal opportunities and eco-social justice.

The literature highlights that inclusive education is essential to ensure equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their socio-economic background, abilities, or cultural heritage (Iniesto et al., 2021). Promoting inclusion in schools contributes to building a fairer and more just society, in line with the principles of eco-social justice (Kulnieks & Young, 2014). The EQui-T project is fully embedded in this framework, aiming to reduce educational inequalities by promoting inclusive teaching practices and developing and disseminating high-quality educational resources (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 2016).

Open Inclusive Educational Resources (OIER) are essential tools for accessible learning because they provide adaptable teaching materials that can be freely used by anyone. In the context of inclusive education, OIER plays a crucial role in ensuring that content is accessible and adaptable to diverse learning students' needs (European Commission, 2016). In line with European guidelines, the EQui-T project is committed to developing a multi-perspective catalogue of criteria to assess the quality of OIER, ensuring they are helpful, relevant, and genuinely inclusive.

Beyond resource development, another key aspect of the project is teacher training. EQui-T offers courses for both early-career and in-service teachers, providing teachers with practical tools for designing and experimenting with innovative teaching materials based on OIER. The creation of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) facilitates it. The ultimate goal is to foster technologically advanced and inclusive teaching methods. The underlying idea is that by strengthening teachers’ skills, the entire school system can undergo a positive transformation, with educational practices that are increasingly focused on inclusion and sustainability.

It is crucial to emphasise that school inclusion is not limited to integrating students with special educational needs into classrooms. Still, it concerns creating environments where everyone, regardless of differences, can actively participate and experience high-quality learning. According to Ainscow (2020), inclusive education is founded on two primary rationales: educational and social. From a pedagogical perspective, addressing individual differences through flexible teaching methodologies enhances the learning experience for all students. From a social standpoint, an inclusive school fosters positive attitudes towards diversity and heterogeneity while contributing to creating a fairer and non-discriminatory society. Therefore, education systems should adapt to student’s needs rather than expecting students to fit rigid structures, adopting a tailored, attentive, and flexible approach (Ainscow, 2020).

Students’ acquisition of competencies also benefits from the diversity they encounter and experience within the school environment. An inclusive education ensures that every student receives the support, tools, and learning strategies they need to develop their potential within a social context that values plurality and balances equity with quality (Ainscow, 2020).

To achieve these objectives, the EQui-T project collaborates with numerous academic and research institutions across Europe. These include the University of Graz, the University College of Teacher Education Styria, and the University College of Teacher Education Augustinum in Austria; the University of Granada in Spain; the La.R.I.O.S. Laboratory from the University of Padua in Italy; Tallinn University in Estonia; and the University of South-Eastern Norway. This international network facilitates the exchange of best practices and fosters cooperation among experts from different countries, broadening the scope of research and training in inclusive education.

Project Partners

The University of Padua plays a particularly significant role in the project. The working group consists of psychologists specialising in inclusion and sustainability. The Italian team is coordinated by Professor Sara Santilli, with the support of Professors Laura Nota and Maria Cristina Ginevra, along with PhD students such as Barbara Rinaldi, Mehmet Çağlar Akyiğit, Denise Zucchini, and Isabella Valbusa, as well as postgraduate psychology trainees. Specifically, the University of Padua contributes to evaluating OIER guidelines (criteria catalogue), defining the theoretical framework, and testing the teaching tools and training courses for teachers developed within the project (Work Package 5). The main objectives include assessing the quality of the developed resources, collecting feedback from teachers and stakeholders in the field of inclusion and sustainability, and improving inclusive teaching methodologies.

Generally, the EQui-T project represents an innovative and essential initiative for advancing inclusive education in Europe. The union of open educational resources, teacher training, and international collaboration across various dimensions fosters a more equitable and accessible learning environment. Cooperation between institutions and the organization of a transnational network of professionals ensures the sustainability of the project’s actions, to generate a lasting impact from an inclusive and sustainable perspective.

Collage of Project Meetings
 

Bibliography
Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: lessons from international experiences. Nordic journal of studies in educational policy, 6(1), 7-16.

European Commission, Joint Research Centre. (2016). OpenEdu framework. Publications Office of the European Union. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/what-open-education/open-educational-resources-oer_en

Iniesto, F., Tabuenca, B., Rodrigo, C., & Tovar, E. (2021). Challenges to achieving a more inclusive and sustainable open education. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2021(1).

Kulnieks, A., & Young, K. (2014). Literacies, leadership, and inclusive education: Socially just arts-informed eco-justice pedagogy. LEARNing Landscapes, 7(2), 183-193.