Agents of Inclusion: Teachers’ Lived Roles in Operationalizing Inclusive Education Policies in Schools

Pinki

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.62761

Agents of Inclusion: Teachers’ Lived Roles in Operationalizing Inclusive Education Policies in Schools

Author(s)	Dr. Pinki
Country	India
Abstract	Inclusive education has evolved from a rights-based ideal to a moral and pedagogical necessity within contemporary schooling systems. Yet, despite extensive policy frameworks and legislative mandates, the operationalization of inclusion remains deeply contingent upon teachers—their beliefs, interpretations, and daily practices. This study investigates the lived roles of teachers as agents of inclusion in actualizing inclusive education policies within diverse school contexts. Adopting a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research explores how teachers interpret, negotiate, and enact policy directives in classrooms characterized by varying abilities, resources, and sociocultural dynamics. Data were collected from thirty teachers across public and private schools through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observations. The analysis, guided by policy enactment theory (Ball, Maguire, & Braun) and social constructivist principles, revealed five interrelated themes: (1) policy awareness versus policy internalization, (2) emotional and cognitive labor of inclusion, (3) adaptive pedagogy under structural constraints, (4) institutional and leadership influences on inclusive practices, and (5) the redefinition of professional identity through inclusion. Findings demonstrate that inclusion is not a uniform practice but a contextual negotiation shaped by teachers’ sense of agency, institutional culture, and administrative alignment. Teachers who experienced higher professional satisfaction and stronger administrative support—conditions previously identified as crucial to effective education systems were more likely to demonstrate proactive inclusive practices. The study concludes that teachers are the critical mediators who translate policy rhetoric into educational reality. Effective inclusion, therefore, requires systemic coherence between policy, pedagogy, and institutional ethos, emphasizing continuous professional development, reflective collaboration, and administrative empowerment. This research contributes to theory by situating teacher agency at the center of inclusive policy enactment and offers a grounded framework for building inclusive school cultures through teacher leadership.
Keywords	Inclusive education, teacher agency, policy enactment, phenomenology, educational governance, professional identity, India
Field	Arts
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On	2025-12-08
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.62761

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Agents of Inclusion: Teachers’ Lived Roles in Operationalizing Inclusive Education Policies in Schools

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