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Creating an Inclusive and Safe Educational Environment in Educational Institutions: The Psychological and Pedagogical Aspect

Yuliia Bondarenko1, Olena Akimova2, Iryna Samoilova3, Iryna Batareina4, Maiia Suprun5
1Department of Special and Inclusive Education, Educational and Scientific Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology, Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko, Sumy, Ukraine
2Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Primary Education and Educational Management, Psychological and Pedagogical Faculty, Municipal Establishment “Kharkiv Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy” of Kharkiv Regional Council, Kharkiv, Ukraine
3Department of Special Pedagogy and Psychology and Inclusive Education, Municipal Establishment “Kharkiv Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy” of Kharkiv Regional Council, Kharkiv, Ukraine
4Department of Preschool Education and Social Work, Faculty of Social, Pedagogical and Art Education, Bogdan Khmelnytskyi Melitopol State Pedagogical University, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
5Department of Foreign Languages for the Humanities, Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, Lutsk, Ukraine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70517/revcc2624180
Published: 03/11/2026
: Yuliia Bondarenko, Olena Akimova, Iryna Samoilova, Iryna Batareina, Maiia Suprun. Creating an Inclusive and Safe Educational Environment in Educational Institutions: The Psychological and Pedagogical Aspect. Revista Cultura Científica, 2026 Issue 24. pg. 2208-2220.

Abstract

The study aimed to identify and explain the interconnected psychological, social, pedagogical and organisational conditions that contribute to an accessible, supportive, and safe environment in which diverse groups of students can participate. The study was conducted as an integrative review of research literature with conceptual and thematic synthesis; the review examined a purposively selected, non-random sample comprising 35 English-language peer-reviewed publications from 2021–2026. As a result of content coding, nine interconnected components were identified: accessibility of learning, psychological and social safety, school and classroom climate, a sense of belonging to the community, supportive relationships, social and emotional learning, prevention of bullying and cyberbullying, trauma-informed practices, as well as teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy and professional development. The synthesis organised these components into four functional levels: individual psychological, interpersonal, pedagogical and organisational. The synthesis highlighted risks at the connections between levels, especially when stated rules are not supported by daily practice, supportive relationships are not accompanied by accessibility of learning, and universal programmes insufficiently take into account the needs of vulnerable groups. It was determined that meaningful student participation is supported when there is consistency among organisational norms, teaching methods, interpersonal interaction and the subjective sense of acceptance and belonging. The practical contribution is an integrated approach to educational planning that combines Universal Design for Learning, teacher support, mechanisms for preventing and responding to bullying, student participation in decision-making and regular assessment of school climate.

Keywords: school climate, social belonging, Universal Design for Learning, social and emotional learning, bullying prevention, trauma-informed practices

Abstract

The study aimed to identify and explain the interconnected psychological, social, pedagogical and organisational conditions that contribute to an accessible, supportive, and safe environment in which diverse groups of students can participate. The study was conducted as an integrative review of research literature with conceptual and thematic synthesis; the review examined a purposively selected, non-random sample comprising 35 English-language peer-reviewed publications from 2021–2026. As a result of content coding, nine interconnected components were identified: accessibility of learning, psychological and social safety, school and classroom climate, a sense of belonging to the community, supportive relationships, social and emotional learning, prevention of bullying and cyberbullying, trauma-informed practices, as well as teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy and professional development. The synthesis organised these components into four functional levels: individual psychological, interpersonal, pedagogical and organisational. The synthesis highlighted risks at the connections between levels, especially when stated rules are not supported by daily practice, supportive relationships are not accompanied by accessibility of learning, and universal programmes insufficiently take into account the needs of vulnerable groups. It was determined that meaningful student participation is supported when there is consistency among organisational norms, teaching methods, interpersonal interaction and the subjective sense of acceptance and belonging. The practical contribution is an integrated approach to educational planning that combines Universal Design for Learning, teacher support, mechanisms for preventing and responding to bullying, student participation in decision-making and regular assessment of school climate.

Keywords: school climate, social belonging, Universal Design for Learning, social and emotional learning, bullying prevention, trauma-informed practices

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Yuliia Bondarenko
Department of Special and Inclusive Education, Educational and Scientific Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology, Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko, Sumy, Ukraine
bondarenkosspu@gmail.com
Olena Akimova
Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Primary Education and Educational Management, Psychological and Pedagogical Faculty, Municipal Establishment “Kharkiv Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy'' of Kharkiv Regional Council, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Iryna Samoilova
Department of Special Pedagogy and Psychology and Inclusive Education, Municipal Establishment “Kharkiv Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy'' of Kharkiv Regional Council, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Iryna Batareina
Department of Preschool Education and Social Work, Faculty of Social, Pedagogical and Art Education, Bogdan Khmelnytskyi Melitopol State Pedagogical University, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Maiia Suprun
Department of Foreign Languages for the Humanities, Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, Lutsk, Ukraine

How to cite:

Yuliia Bondarenko, Olena Akimova, Iryna Samoilova, Iryna Batareina, Maiia Suprun. Creating an Inclusive and Safe Educational Environment in Educational Institutions: The Psychological and Pedagogical Aspect. Revista Cultura Científica, 2026 Issue 24. pg. 2208-2220.

Publication History

  • Received: 20/06/2026
  • Accepted: 27/10/2026
  • Published: 03/11/2026
Copyright © 2026, Yuliia Bondarenko, Olena Akimova, Iryna Samoilova, Iryna Batareina, Maiia Suprun. Published by Revista Cultura Científica. This article is published as open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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