Beyond recommendations: The emotional and relational foundations of inclusion
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56433/nn1rtx25Keywords:
inclusion, emotionality , relationality, English for academic purposes, higher educationAbstract
Inclusion has become a defining concept in higher education (HE), shaping pedagogical discourse and institutional strategy. Within English for Academic Purposes (EAP), however, inclusive practice is often approached procedurally rather than experientially. While a growing body of evidence-based research provides comprehensive recommendations for inclusive teaching across classroom, programme, and institutional levels, their successful implementation depends on two interdependent and frequently overlooked dimensions: emotionality and relationality. This opinion essay argues that inclusion in EAP cannot be achieved solely through structural reforms or policy commitments; it must be emotionally and relationally grounded. Emotionality recognises the affective realities of teaching and learning, while relationality concerns the human connections that sustain inclusion as a lived experience. These dimensions transform inclusion from a policy to a practice, from a framework to a feeling. Only when educators and institutions attend to the emotional and relational foundations of their work can inclusion move beyond rhetoric to become an embodied commitment to belonging and equity in higher education.
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