Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions of Inclusive Education in Kerala, India: Challenges, Preparedness, and Support Needs

Abstract

Inclusive education has become a central goal of education policy worldwide, yet its realisation ultimately depends on the perceptions and practices of classroom teachers. This study explored how secondary school teachers in Kerala, India, understand inclusive education and the challenges they encounter in implementing it. A qualitative, interpretive design was adopted, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen secondary school teachers selected through purposive sampling from government and aided schools. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was addressed through member checking, an audit trail, and reflexive journaling. Five themes were constructed from the data: a cautious commitment to inclusion as a principle coupled with uncertainty about personal capacity; structural and resource barriers such as large class sizes and inadequate materials; significant gaps in pre-service preparation and ongoing professional development; the rigidity of a standardised curriculum and examination system; and the importance of collaboration with peers, special educators, and families as a source of support. Teachers endorsed inclusion in principle but felt insufficiently equipped to enact it, and they attributed difficulties primarily to systemic rather than personal shortcomings. The study recommends sustained teacher preparation, flexible curricula and assessment, and strengthened support structures, and discusses implications for teacher education, school leadership, and inclusive education policy in India.