Intersections of Teacher Well‑Being, Inclusive Education and Professional Development: A Narrative Review

Abstract

This narrative integrative review examines the interrelations among teacher well-being, professional development, and inclusive education. Drawing on recent empirical, theoretical, and policy-oriented literature across educational sciences and psychology, the review applies a thematic-interpretive analytical procedure organised around three conceptual axes: teacher well-being as a dynamic balance between personal resources and professional demands; inclusive education as a transformative project oriented toward participation, belonging, and equity; and professional development as a mediating condition that supports inclusive practice. The literature shows that teacher well-being is shaped not only by stress and burnout, but also by workload, leadership, accountability regimes, and institutional support; that inclusive education involves more than placement and requires changes in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and school culture; and that professional development is most effective when grounded in human rights, inclusive values, Universal Design for Learning, collaboration, and sustained school-based learning. The review further indicates that these three dimensions are mutually reinforcing and must be understood as an integrated triad rather than as separate domains. Its main contribution is to advance a systemic framework that explains why fragmented interventions are insufficient and why sustainable inclusion depends on aligning policy, leadership, professional learning, and teacher well-being. The review concludes that inclusive education should be approached as a whole-school and context-sensitive project that addresses structural barriers while enabling teachers’ professional flourishing and collective responsibility for all learners.