Relationship between university educational inclusion and attitudes towards diversity among university teachers in latin america

Abstract

Introduction: Educational inclusion in Latin American higher education has become a fundamental pillar for guaranteeing the right to equitable education. Despite regulatory advances, gaps in training, resistance, and practices that are inconsistent with the principles of inclusion persist. Teachers' attitudes play a decisive role in building accessible and respectful environments. However, there are still few comparative studies in the region that simultaneously analyze university educational inclusion and attitudes toward diversity. The objective of the study was to analyze the relationship between university educational inclusion and attitudes toward diversity among university teachers in Latin America. Materials and Methods: A quantitative approach was used under the positivist paradigm, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional, and correlational design. The sample and population consisted of 564 teachers from Latin American universities. A structured questionnaire validated by experts was administered, consisting of dimensions of attitudes toward diversity and university educational inclusion, using a Likert scale. The analysis included reliability tests and Spearman correlations according to normality, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Teachers showed generally favorable attitudes toward diversity and positive levels of educational inclusion. However, gaps were identified in specialized training, institutional participation, and knowledge of inclusive policies. Correlational analysis revealed a moderate positive relationship between attitudes toward diversity and educational inclusion (R² = 0.2384), indicating that greater openness to diversity is associated with better perceptions of university inclusion. The regression model confirmed that an increase in teacher attitude directly favors the perception of inclusion. Conclusions: Teacher attitude is a key factor in strengthening university educational inclusion. However, gaps in training, participation, and policy appropriation limit the effective application of inclusive practices. Training, institutional communication, and teacher participation must be strengthened to consolidate truly inclusive universities in Latin America.