Psychology and Inclusive Education

Psychology and inclusive education is a combination designed around a fundamental truth about human diversity: children and young people develop, learn, and experience the world in very different ways, and understanding those differences is essential for anyone who works with them. Psychology brings the scientific framework for understanding cognitive development, learning processes, emotional regulation, and the social and environmental factors that influence behaviour and wellbeing. Inclusive education adds the professional and ethical dimension, examining how educational settings can be designed and led to support all learners effectively, including those with special educational needs, disabilities, and other characteristics that affect their engagement with learning.

At the University of Lincoln this three-year full-time programme develops your psychological knowledge alongside the educational theories, practices, and legislative frameworks that underpin inclusive education in England. You will study developmental psychology, special educational needs, autism, learning difficulties, mental health in educational settings, and the psychological principles that inform inclusive teaching practice. The programme includes a sandwich year and work placement opportunities, giving you professional experience in educational or child-related settings alongside your academic development.

Graduates from psychology and inclusive education programmes work as teaching assistants, special educational needs coordinators, learning mentors, support workers, family workers, and in roles across early years, primary, and secondary education. The degree provides a strong foundation for further teacher training through a PGCE, and it is particularly well suited to those who want to specialise in inclusion, SEN, or educational psychology. Some graduates go on to postgraduate study in educational psychology or clinical psychology, working towards the professional qualifications that allow them to practise independently as psychologists in educational or clinical settings.