What does it take to feel included? Ninth grade students’ experiences of inclusion and teacher–student relationships

This small-scale mixed-methods study explores ninth-grade students’ experiences of the inclusion climate in relation to their perceptions of teacher–student relationships. A survey was conducted with 247 ninth-grade students using the Inclusion Climate Scale (ICS) and the Student Perception of Affective Relationship with Teacher Scale (SPARTS). Additionally, the questionnaire contained an open-ended question regarding teacher approaches that foster a sense of inclusion. The quantitative multiple regression analyses show that perceived relational closeness is strongly associated with students’ sense of inclusion, linked to teacher support and care, emotional experience of school, and, to a lesser extent, peer acceptance. Perceptions of conflict were negatively and weakly associated with inclusion. The qualitative responses illustrate four concrete teacher approaches that students associate with feeling included: greetings and positivity, calmness and listening, equal treatment and privacy, and clarity and engagement. Taken together, the findings suggest the importance of teacher–student relationships for students’ perceptions of inclusion. The study highlights the importance of teachers’ relational responsiveness and predictable classroom structures for fostering students’ sense of belonging and inclusion.