Co esponding au ho : Ania A D zewiecka
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I-CARE Model: An inno a i e design o inclusi e eaching
Ania A D zewiecka *
School o Tex iles and Design, He io -Wa Uni e si y, Sco land, UK.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(02), 2761-2765
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 30 Ma ch 2025; e ised on 14 May 2025; accep ed on 17 May 2025
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wja .2025.26.2.1960
Abs ac
The ole o highe educa ion eache s is pi o al in guiding mul icul u al and mul ina ional s uden s h ough hei
academic jou neys, om hei i s day on campus o g adua ion. This pe iod is ma ked by signi ican pe sonal g ow h,
de elopmen , and he o ma ion o li elong iendships. Howe e , s uden s o en ace challenges such as di icul ies in
"se ling in," eelings o isola ion, and men al heal h s uggles. To enhance s uden s' well-being, i is c ucial o p io i ise
hei well-being wi hin he educa ional amewo k, as i signi ican ly impac s hei pos -academic li es.
This pape explo es he concep o well-being in educa ion, d awing on he " he apeu ic u n in educa ion" and he New
Economic Founda ion's i e well-being app oaches: "keep lea ning," "connec ," "be ac i e," " ake no ice," and "be
engaged." Con empla i e pedagogy, which p omo es mind ulness and connec ions be ween pe sonal expe iences and
he wo ld, is highligh ed as a me hod o os e well-being and a sense o connec ion among s uden s.
The pape also add esses he impo ance o inclusion in eaching p ac ices, a legal equi emen unde he Equali y Ac
in he UK. I emphasizes he need o a e ising mindse in eaching, akin o e ising ex books, o con inually imp o e
and adap eaching me hods o be mo e inclusi e. The I-CARE model and Gibbs’ e lec i e cycle a e p oposed as
amewo ks o e alua ing and implemen ing inclusi e eaching p ac ices.
Recommenda ions om he UCL Equali y, Di e si y, and Inclusion guidelines a e discussed o suppo he
implemen a ion o inclusi e p ac ices. These include ecognizing pe sonal esponsibili ies as educa o s, suppo ing
s uden s' di e se needs, and enhancing he cu iculum wi h di e se pe spec i es. In e ac i e eaching me hods a e
sugges ed o imp o e s uden engagemen and pee - o-pee connec ions, os e ing a sense o belonging and inclusi i y.
By adop ing hese app oaches, highe educa ion ins i u ions can c ea e an en i onmen whe e all s uden s eel alued
and included, ul ima ely enhancing hei academic and pe sonal de elopmen .
This piece explo es inclusion as a i al aspec o eaching p ac ice. I d aws on schola ly li e a u e o highligh he
impo ance o selec ing and e alua ing changes o be implemen ed in educa ional se ings. Fi s , i discusses he concep
o inclusion as depic ed in academic li e a u e. Then, i explains he mo i a ion o choosing inclusion as an a ea o
imp o emen . Finally, i p oposes c i e ia o assessing inclusion as a change in p o essional p ac ice.
Keywo ds: Inclusi i y; Inclusi e eaching; I-CARE model; Con empla i e Pedagogy; Sus ainable De elopmen Goals
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1. In oduc ion
The ole o a highe educa ion eache in ol es wi nessing he jou neys o mul icul u al and mul ina ional s uden s,
bo h unde g adua e (UG) and pos g adua e (PGT), as hey p og ess om hei i s day on campus o hei g adua ion
ce emonies. S uden s' ime in academia ep esen s a pe iod o signi ican pe sonal g ow h, de elopmen , and he
o ma ion o li elong iendships. Howe e , some s uden s may ace challenges ela ed o "se ling in," eelings o
isola ion, and s uggles wi h men al heal h (Cappe & McVi y, 2022). To op imize s uden s' well-being du ing hei
uni e si y jou ney, i is essen ial o posi ion hei well-being a he hea o hei educa ion, as i p o oundly impac s
hei pos -academic li es. Eccles one and Hays (2008) discuss he " he apeu ic u n in educa ion," while he New
Economic Founda ion p oposes i e well-being app oaches: "keep lea ning," "connec ," "be ac i e," " ake no ice," and
"be engaged" (S eu e & Ma ks, 2008). Con empla i e pedagogy, which encou ages s uden s o p ac ice mind ulness
and es ablish connec ions be ween hei pe sonal expe iences and he wo ld a ound hem, os e s well-being and
p omo es a sense o connec ion wi h o he s (Ba beza & Bush, 2014; Bush, 2011; Le y e al., 2011).
The idea o "connec edness," o en e e ed o as belonging o inclusion, is equen ly examined in ela ion o
demog aphic di e ences such as educa ional backg ound, gende , e hnici y, o language. These di e ences can
in luence how accep ed s uden s eel (Cappe & McVi y, 2022). Hough on and Ande son (2017) discuss how de eloping
a sense o belonging can impac s uden e en ion and encou age ac i e pa icipa ion in lea ning.
2. Ra ionale o he inclusion aspec o eaching p ac ice
Implemen ing inclusion as a p ac ice is a legal equi emen o Highe Educa ion Ins i u ions in Sco land, England, and
Wales unde Sec ion 91 o he Equali y Ac (Equali y and Human Righ s Commission, 2010). The e o e, s a membe s
ha e a pe sonal esponsibili y o p omo e inclusion, which en ails c ea ing "a cul u e whe e e e yone eels a sense o
belonging and is alued o hei unique pe spec i es and con ibu ions" (Bliche and Sco , n.d.).
3. App oaches o E alua ing Change
To achie e inclusi i y in eaching p ac ices, he li e a u e p o ides aluable insigh s. The concep o main aining a
e ising mindse , as discussed by Lenox and Ga e ud (n.d.), se es as a guiding p inciple o imp o emen . While he
au ho s ocus on e ising ex books, he e a e ele an pa allels be ween e ising w i en ma e ials and eassessing
eaching p ac ices. These commonali ies include aking a s ep back, emb acing change, hinking holis ically, conside ing
s uden s' pe spec i es, and di e si ying o ma s.
The simila i ies be ween he e ising mindse o ex books and inclusi e eaching p ac ices include, i s , he
impo ance o s epping back om p epa ed lesson plans and eaching ools (such as lec u e slides) o allow ime o
e lec ion and ecognize po en ial changes. Secondly, solici ing eedback on eaching p ac ices and being open o
sugges ions om mo e expe ienced colleagues can in oduce new me hods o imp o emen . Thi dly, adop ing big-
pic u e hinking os e s an unde s anding o cou ses as pa o a b oade s uden expe ience, connec ing o he la ge
con ex o highe educa ion and quali y assu ance. Fou hly, e ising cou se ma e ials om he s uden s' pe spec i es—
ocusing on accessibili y and manageabili y—can enhance he ele ance o eaching me hods. Las ly, changing he
o ma s o eaching sessions— om on-campus lec u es o one-on-one consul a ions, g oup u o ials, si e isi s, and
sel -di ec ed s udy—can help main ain a e ising mindse and ensu e inclusi i y in eaching p ac ices. This aligns wi h
he indings o he Equali y and Human Righ s Commission (2010) ha emphasize os e ing a sense o belonging and
oice (Bliche & Sco , n.d.).
While explo ing he CARE model o e ision in oduced by Lenox (Lenox & Ga e ud, n.d.) and e lec ing on he meaning
o inclusion in he UK highe educa ion sec o , his model has been eadap ed o suppo inclusi e eaching p ac ices
based on sel - e lec ion. The ollowing segmen (Table 1) p esen s he modi ica ions made o he CARE e ision model
(Fig. 1) o enhance inclusi i y in eaching p ac ices (Lenox & Ga e ud, n.d.).
The ocus o his pape is on inclusion in eaching p ac ices. To e ise hese p ac ices om he pe spec i e o inclusi i y
and belonging, he e ision mindse and he I-CARE model (Table 1) can be employed as c i e ia o e alua ing changes
ha p omo e inclusi i y in eaching. Addi ionally, Gibbs’ e lec i e cycle model (1988) can be u ilized o ho oughly
explo e he a ious phases ela ed o change ha lead o inclusi e eaching p ac ices. This model p o ides a s uc u ed
app oach o lea ning om eal expe iences, encou aging sel -examina ion and ensu ing ha lea ning occu s while
planning o u u e ac ions. I can se e as an e ec i e e alua ion and planning ool o implemen ing and de eloping
inclusi e eaching p ac ices alongside he I-CARE model, guiding he p ocess o change and inclusi i y in educa ion.
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To suppo he implemen a ion o inclusi e p ac ices, ecommenda ions om he UCL Equali y, Di e si y and Inclusion
(UCL, 2017) can p o ide use ul a eas o upda ing eaching p ac ices. These ecommenda ions emphasize he
impo ance o :
Recognising pe sonal esponsibili ies as a eache , pa icula ly ega ding he in luence on s uden s, awa eness o acial
s e eo ypes, unde s anding he concep o ace, and sha ing bes p ac ices.
Suppo ing s uden s in hei lea ning by p onouncing hei names co ec ly, ensu ing access o pe sonal u o ing,
ini ia ing open and welcoming con e sa ions in in o mal se ings, in i ing opinions du ing discussions, and being
mind ul o s uden s' di e se needs. This ensu es ull pa icipa ion by encou aging s uden s o sha e hei opinions o
ake speci ic oles in g oup asks and mixing g oups o acili a e in e ac ions among s uden s om di e en e hnic
backg ounds.
Unde s anding he impac o an inclusi e and di e se cu iculum on s uden s’ expe iences and sense o belonging.
Enhancing a eas such as eading lis s o lec u e con ex s wi h di e se au ho s, app oaches, and cul u es can p e en a
na ow pe spec i e and p omo e iche iewpoin s.
Table 1 I – CARE Model o Re ision. Adap ed om he CARE Model o Re ision (Fig. 1)
I
CARE Model o Re ision (I – Inclusion)
C
Wha can I cu and cla i y in my eaching p ac ice o emb ace inclusion?
A
How can I bes add ess he eedback I ha e ecei ed on cul i a ing inclusion in my eaching?
R
How can I use my e lec ion o e-o de and e esh my eaching ma e ials and app oaches o p omo e inclusi i y
h ough my p ac ice?
E
Can I inco po a e mo e examples o ensu e ha my eaching is ele an o s uden s?
Figu e 1 CARE Model o Re ision. Sou ce: Lenox, S. and Ga e ud, A. (n.d.). The e ising mindse . In Bliche , H., Ga e ud,
A., Sco , V., Vold, V., Hoope , M.W., and Lenox, S. Doing he Wo k: Di e si y, Equi y, and Inclusion in Open Educa ional
Resou ces. P essbooks. A ailable a : h ps://openo egon.p essbooks.pub/do hewo k/chap e /2-3- he- e ising-
mindse /. (Accessed 1 May, 2025)
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Figu e 2 Le els o connec edness among he cou se’s (UG) s uden s. Sou ce: au ho ’s own
4. Upda ing Teaching P ac ices
To imp o e s uden engagemen and pee - o-pee connec ions, in e ac i e eaching me hods could be in oduced o
encou age collabo a ion among s uden s om di e en e hnic backg ounds. Fo ins ance, a coho o second-yea
unde g adua e s uden s en olled in a b anding cou se consis s o indi iduals om di e se e hnic backg ounds wi h
a ying communica ion skills. I has been obse ed ha in e ac ion among s uden s, especially du ing b eaks, is
minimal o e en absen . To add ess his, ins ead o allowing s uden s o choose hei own g oups o collabo a i e
ac i i ies, he eache will mix g oups o p e en s uden s om o ming cliques based on p oximi y. Implemen ing
in e ac i e eaching me hods can help a oid isola ing indi iduals and c ea e an a mosphe e ha welcomes new ways
o hinking (UCL, 2017). By os e ing in e ac ions among s uden s om di e en e hnic backg ounds wi hin his cou se,
hey can de elop a s onge sense o belonging and connec ion o he uni e si y, as well as eelings o empowe men ,
sa e y, alue, and inclusi i y. Acco ding o a s udy by Cappe and McVi y, a s onge sense o belonging is linked o
iendships and inc eased amilia i y wi h pee s in a cou se, indica ing ha o ming close connec ions con ibu es o a
sense o belonging and imp o ed men al heal h (2022).
As a esul o hese upda es o eaching p ac ices, s uden s ha e epo ed eeling a g ea e sense o belonging and
inclusi i y in he class oom. This sen imen was cap u ed h ough an anonymous poll assessing s uden s’ expe iences
(Fig. 2), whe e 77% o pa icipan s indica ed ha he mixed g oups implemen ed his semes e o collabo a i e wo k
suppo ed hei sense o belonging and connec edness.
5. Conclusion
Inclusion in highe educa ion is no me ely a legal obliga ion bu a mo al and pedagogical impe a i e ha shapes he
academic and pe sonal jou neys o s uden s om di e se backg ounds. As his pape has explo ed, os e ing a sense o
belonging and well-being is essen ial o s uden success, pa icula ly in mul icul u al and mul ina ional lea ning
en i onmen s. By in eg a ing con empla i e pedagogy, he p inciples o he I-CARE model, and e lec i e amewo ks
such as Gibbs’ cycle, educa o s can c i ically eassess and adap hei eaching p ac ices o be mo e inclusi e, esponsi e,
and s uden -cen ed.
The pa allels d awn be ween e ising w i en ma e ials and e ising eaching p ac ices unde sco e he impo ance o
lexibili y, empa hy, and con inuous imp o emen . P ac ical s a egies—such as di e si ying eaching o ma s,
encou aging pee in e ac ion, and embedding di e se pe spec i es in o cu icula—can signi ican ly enhance s uden s’
sense o connec ion and engagemen . Mo eo e , he ecommenda ions om ins i u ions like UCL p o ide ac ionable
guidance o educa o s o suppo s uden s holis ically, om p onuncia ion o names o inclusi e g oup dynamics.
Ul ima ely, inclusi e eaching is a dynamic, ongoing p ocess ha equi es educa o s o emain e lec i e, open o
eedback, and commi ed o c ea ing en i onmen s whe e all s uden s eel alued, hea d, and empowe ed. By placing
inclusion and well-being a he hea o pedagogy, highe educa ion can uly ul ill i s ans o ma i e po en ial.
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Re e ences
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[2] Bliche , H. & Sco , V. (n.d.). Di e si y, equi y and inclusion. In Bliche , H., Ga e ud, A., Sco , V., Vold, V., Hoope ,
M.W., and Lenox, S. Doing he Wo k: Di e si y, Equi y, and Inclusion in Open Educa ional Resou ces. P essbooks.
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