Students’ Perceptions of Inclusion in Higher Education: Early Experiences of Future Professionals

Inclusive education in higher education is often addressed through institutional strategies and policy frameworks, while less attention is paid to how inclusion is experienced by students in everyday academic life. This study adopts a student-centered perspective to examine perceptions of inclusion among first-year university students enrolled in programs oriented toward education and related helping professions. Focusing on students at the beginning of their studies enables the capture of early encounters with institutional culture, accessibility, and support structures, while establishing a baseline for planned longitudinal follow-up research. Using an online survey design, data were collected from 117 first-year students and analysed using descriptive statistical methods. The questionnaire examined key domains of inclusion, including institutional climate, diversity and equality, gender sensitivity, digital accessibility, participation, support for individual educational needs, and physical accessibility. The findings indicate a clear pattern in which inclusive values and interpersonal climate are evaluated positively, whereas structural and material aspects of inclusion, particularly physical accessibility and systematic support for individual needs, receive lower ratings. The results point to a persistent tension between inclusive culture and institutional conditions in higher education, with implications for the preparation of future professionals for inclusive practice.