Conducting inclusive research

In order for educational research to understand and represent a diverse range of experiences from different groups, it is important that educational research practices are inclusionary. Inclusion is an important consideration at every stage of the research process (research design, data collection, analysis and reporting) to ensure that the voices of underrepresented groups in particular are heard. The long-held view that quantitative research, with its emphasis on measurement and empirical data, is more rigorous and robust than qualitative research is starting to be challenged (Santoro, 2023). Statistical practices such as eliminating outliers when cleaning the data (where data points that lie outside of the normal distribution are deleted) perpetuate structural inequity by silencing voices from the research (Arellano, 2022). In comparison, qualitative research, with its focus on lived experiences, can deepen our understanding of the educational experiences of historically marginalise