Educational change from a quality of life perspective

Inclusive education implies a great educational change applicable, both immediately and over the long term, which requires the coordinated action of different social agents: the administration, teaching staff, families, organisations and researchers. In order to achieve that change, and its permanence, the quality of life model considers using a systematic strategy with different tactics that improve the possibilities and the effectiveness of the proposals, involving the microsystem (change in educational practices), mesosystem (organizational change) and macrosystem (different public policies).The quality of life model is very useful as a conceptual guide for curricular changes and other transformations in general and special educational centers. Additionally, it is a model that contributes to focus education on students' needs and desires. It can also contribute to the improvement of educational planning, to the development of specific models of program evaluation centered upon the person, and to the increased participation of students in processes and decisions that affect them. Research on quality of life in education has shown important activity in Spain in the last years, showing significant advances in the development of instruments and their validation, as well as studies on different groups of students both with and without specific educational needs. Given the results of those investigations, generalised applications of the quality of life model can be initiated in different educational contexts.