About the Department of Social Equity and Inclusive Education
The Department of Social Equity and Inclusive Education advances equitable and transformative education systems that recognise diverse ways of knowing, learning and leading.
Our Department is part of La Trobe's School of Education.
Our work strengthens inclusive practice, leadership and policy to support education systems that enable active and meaningful participation, belonging and opportunity for learners, educators and communities.
Education plays a powerful role in shaping inclusive and resilient societies. In a complex and changing education landscape, we're supporting system transformation by fostering inclusive pedagogies, leadership for change and policy frameworks that support sustainable reform across schools and education systems.
Our focus on social equity and inclusive education is grounded in community partnership and co-design. We centre Indigenous knowledge and perspectives, honour sovereignty and amplify community voices, ensuring education practice and policy are culturally responsive, strengths-based and reflective of Australia’s diverse society.
We work closely with schools, education systems, organisations and communities across metropolitan, regional and rural Australia. Through initial teacher education, professional learning, leadership development and policy-focused research, our work supports educators and leaders to shape education systems that are inclusive, future-ready and responsive to the communities they serve.
Our focus is on impact. We are motivated by creating a fairer society and education systems that elevate and amplify strengths, and are committed to building the evidence that makes this vision real.
Education pathways for equity, inclusion and system leadership
The Department of Social Equity and Inclusive Education prepares educators and leaders to work effectively with diverse learners and communities, and to contribute to education systems that prioritise equity, inclusion and meaningful participation.
Our courses are grounded in rigorous academic foundations and shaped by applied, real-world practice. Students engage with inclusive pedagogies, Indigenous education, leadership and policy, developing the knowledge and capabilities needed to address complex educational challenges across schools and systems.
Our programs serve aspiring teachers, career changers and experienced educators seeking to strengthen their practice or move into leadership and system-focused roles. We provide flexible, hybrid pathways (incorporating on-campus and online experiences and opportunities) to reduce barriers and create consistent access across metropolitan, regional and rural communities.
Across all study pathways, we are committed to increasing participation among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, regional and rural learners, students living with disability, and those from diverse backgrounds. By broadening who can access and succeed in education, we help strengthen representation within the profession and build education systems that better reflect the communities they serve. Graduates are equipped to work confidently across many contexts, contributing to systems that remove barriers, recognise multiple ways of knowing, and enable all learners to succeed.
Research for meaningful change
We are the University where world-class research and professional practice come together to redefine what it means to teach and learn. Grounded in evidence, equity and innovation, our research closes the gap between what is known and what is done in classrooms, schools and education systems.
Across a diverse portfolio, research in the Department of Social Equity and Inclusive Education spans Indigenous education, inclusive pedagogies, leadership, policy and community-led approaches to change. Our work centres co-design, honours sovereignty and amplifies community and family voices, contributing to sustained improvements in educational access, participation and outcomes.
Through collaborative projects, translational research and thought leadership, the Department contributes research with real-world impact that strengthens practice, workforce sustainability and education systems in Australia and beyond.
Flagship initiatives
La Trobe's School of Education is leading the national shift towards evidence-informed education, with a proven ability to move research into classrooms and sustain it at scale.
The SOLAR Lab leads research, professional learning and system partnerships in evidence-informed literacy instruction. Grounded in the science of language and reading, SOLAR translates rigorous research into practical tools, short courses and postgraduate programs that embed explicit reading instruction in classrooms. Through national partnerships with schools and systems, La Trobe’s SOLAR Lab has already equipped more than 12,500 educators with the evidence-informed expertise to lift literacy outcomes at scale.
The SOME Lab is Australia’s first dedicated hub for evidence-informed mathematics education. Focused on explicit instruction and strong numeracy foundations, SOME integrates research, classroom implementation and workforce development to translate evidence into practical tools that strengthen teacher expertise and lift mathematics outcomes across primary and secondary education.
Many schools want to shift to explicit instruction but face uncertainty about where to begin, how to sustain change and how to measure impact. Momentum Schools is a research initiative, supported by the Bertalli Family Foundation, that connects high-performing schools that have successfully embedded explicit instruction with schools beginning their journey. Through structured networks and shared implementation insights, Momentum supports schools to adopt evidence-informed teaching practice in line with the Victorian Government’s direction on structured phonics and explicit instruction.
In response to teacher shortages and the resulting disruption to student learning, particularly in regional and rural communities, La Trobe launched Nexus – an employment-based pathway that enables mid-career professionals and education support staff to train as teachers while working in the schools that need them most. Grounded in workforce research and system partnership, Nexus builds sustainable local teacher pipelines by preparing educators in context, in community and in practice – strengthening retention and continuity where it matters most, with more than 80 per cent of graduates remaining in their placement school for at least a year after graduation.
Research centres
Our staff make key contributions to La Trobe University's research centres.
The Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre works with autistic people and their families to produce high-quality research to facilitate positive developmental outcomes in the lives of autistic people, from infancy through to early childhood and beyond; enable autistic people to realise their full potential throughout their life course; and support families as their young autistic children grow and develop.