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Angie Fantis

Teacher of Psychology, BHASVIC

Research Bio

My doctoral research is titled Reimagining Inclusion in Further Education: Co-Designing Practice with Educators from the Ground Up. Using a mixed-methods approach, I will combine survey data with co-designed interviews to explore how FE educators experience inclusion in their daily practice. By placing staff voices at the centre, the study aims to generate practical ways of embedding inclusive cultures and systems in FE colleges.

The doctoral research builds on my MSc dissertation, which I completed as part of an MSc in Psychology in 2025, particularly enjoying units on learning differences and diversity, as well as further developing skills in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Alongside taking a lead on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)/ additional learning support (ALS) within the psychology department - supporting colleagues and advising on inclusive practice - and my lived experience as an autistic teacher, this strengthened my passion for inclusion and led me to focus my dissertation on From Attitudes to Action: A Multiple Regression Analysis of Predictors of Positive Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education in Sixth-Form Teachers.

From this research, I learned that staff with lived experience of SEND often hold more positive attitudes towards inclusion. At the same time, many participants felt their training had not adequately prepared them to support diverse learners. While this work focused on measuring attitudes, it also highlighted the limitations of quantitative approaches in capturing the complexities of practice. This motivated me to adopt a more critical and qualitative orientation in my doctoral work, drawing on critical disability theory to examine how inclusion is experienced and enacted in FE.

As an autistic researcher, I am deeply committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and to ensuring that research leads to meaningful change for staff and learners alike. The ultimate goal is to provide actionable insights for leaders, practitioners, and policymakers to strengthen inclusive practice across the FE sector.

Angie Fantis

Call for action

I would welcome contact from FE colleges and staff who are interested in sharing experiences of inclusion in practice and in exploring opportunities for future collaboration.