Challenges and Practices of Implementing Inclusive Education: A Review of Teachers' Classrooms Preparation and Parental Support
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/sajssh.2025.6604Keywords:
Inclusive Education, Marginalized Community, Prenatal Involvement, Education LeadershipAbstract
In Bangladesh, inclusive education is underscored in the Constitution, the National Education Policy 2010, and the SDGs; however, in practice, this is not without challenges. There are not enough trained teachers; classes are too large, and resources are too scarce. Attitudes towards linguistic disabilities and marginal communities remain negative; weak school leadership and teacher reluctance all conspire against their success. Parent engagement is still minimal because of poverty, stigma, and ignorance. Interference in policy making, as well as politicization, exacerbates the policy–practice gap. This study examines the reasons behind the failure of inclusive education in Bangladesh, with a particular emphasis on the classroom experiences of teachers and the level of parental involvement in the learning process. This research further argues that to achieve inclusion, the cooperative relationship between parents and teachers should be strengthened, teachers' competence should be enhanced, classroom practices should be applied consistently, and long-term plans should be made for marginalized children.
References
Acharja, D. C., Biswas, T. K., & Biswas, B. (2025). Challenges to inclusive education for the students of tea garden in Bangladesh: A case study. European Journal of Inclusive Education, 4(1), 114–133.
Acharja, D. C., Chowdhury, K. Q., Akter, N., Das, R., Hossain, M. I., & Islam, M. T. (2021). Inclusive education for children from marginal groups in Bangladesh: Problems and possibilities. International Journal of Advance Research and Innovative Ideas in Education, 7(2), Paper ID 13923. ISSN: 2395-4396.
Ainscow, M. (2005). Developing inclusive education systems: What are the levers for change? Journal of Educational Change, 6, 109–124.
Al Imran, M., Islam, M. S., Hossain, M. S., Pardhan, S., Bari, N., & Zeba, Z. (2025). Knowledge and practice among caregivers having children with autism in Bangladesh: Findings from a cross-sectional study. BMC Research Notes, 18(1), 82.
Antoniou, F., Alghamdi, M. H., & Kawai, K. (2024). The effect of school size and class size on school preparedness. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1354072.
Azevedo, H., Barat, B., Coelho, V., Machado, F., Soares, M., Dias, P., & Peixoto, C. (2025). Exploring teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education: Role of self‐efficacy and perceived school climate. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design (Vol. 352). Harvard University Press.
Creswell, J. W. (2015). 30 essential skills for the qualitative researcher. London: SAGE.
Darwish, S., Alodat, A., Al-Hendawi, M., & Ianniello, A. (2025). General education teachers’ perspectives on challenges to the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in Qatar. Education Sciences, 15(7), 908.
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). Introduction: The discipline and practice of qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research (pp. 1–32). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
Epstein, J. (2018). School, family, and community partnerships, student economy edition: Preparing educators and improving schools. Routledge.
Hoekstra, N. A., van den Berg, Y. H., Lansu, T. A., Mainhard, M. T., & Cillessen, A. H. (2023). Teachers’ goals and strategies for classroom seating arrangements: A qualitative study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 124, 104016.
Karim, S. (2023). Inclusive education for students with diverse learning needs in mainstream schools. In Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Special and Inclusive Education in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex & Ambiguous (VUCA) World (pp. 137–156). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Khan, M., Rabbani, M., Hossain, F., & Ananna, R. S. (2025). Resource leakages in primary schools in Bangladesh: Do horizontal checks have an effect on the quality of governance?
Kuutti, T., Sajaniemi, N., Piia, M., Björn, N. H., & Reunamo, J. (2022). Participation, involvement and peer relationships in children with special educational needs in early childhood education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 37(4), 587–602.
Llamas, A. V., & Tuazon, A. P. (2016). School practices in parental involvement, its expected results and barriers in public secondary schools. International Journal of Educational Science and Research, 6(1), 69–78.
Malak, M. S., Begum, H. A., Habib, M. A., Shaila, M., & Roshid, M. M. (2013). Inclusive education in Bangladesh: Policy and practice. Australian Association for Research in Education. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED603287
Martinez-Yarza, N., Solabarrieta-Eizaguirre, J., & Santibáñez-Gruber, R. (2024). The impact of family involvement on students’ social-emotional development: The mediational role of school engagement. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39(4), 4297–4327.
Mbua, E. M. (2023). Principal leadership: Raising the achievement of all learners in inclusive education. American Journal of Education and Practice, 7(1), 1–25. ISSN 2520-3991.
Menter, I., Elliot, D., Hulme, M., Lewin, J., & Lowden, K. (2011). A guide to practitioner research in education. London: Sage.
National Education Policy 2010. (2010). Ministry of Education, Bangladesh. Planipolis.
OECD. (2020). Learning framework 2030. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/education/2030/learning-framework-2030.htm/
Ofem, U. J., Idika, D., Otu, B., Ovat, S. V., Arikpo, M. I., Anakwue, A. L., & Ibok, E. E. (2024). Academic optimism, capital indicators as predictors of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning outcome among students in secondary school: Hierarchical regression approach (HRA). Heliyon, 10(9).
Oliver-Hoyo, M., & Allen, D. (2006). The use of triangulation methods in qualitative educational research. Journal of College Science Teaching, 35(4).
Rahman, T., & Sharma, U. (2021). A simulation of COVID-19 school closure impact on student learning in Bangladesh. Retrieved from https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/35043
Rouf, M. A. (2021). Ten years of the national education policy in Bangladesh: Examining the policy directions and implementation gaps. Jagannath University Journal of Arts, 11(2), 220–232.
Rusconi, L., & Squillaci, M. (2023). Effects of a universal design for learning (UDL) training course on the development of teachers’ competences: A systematic review. Education Sciences, 13(5), 466.
Rutledge, P. B., & Hogg, J. L. (2020). In-depth interviews. In The International Encyclopedia of Media Psychology. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:225217828
Saxena, R. (2023). A study of the attitude of the parents towards education of the higher secondary girl students. Knowledgeable Research: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 1(10), 30–38.
Shaeffer, S. (2019). Inclusive education: A prerequisite for equity and social justice. Asia Pacific Education Review, 20(2), 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-019-09598-w
Shields, C. M. (2024). Transformative leadership in education: Equitable, inclusive, and quality education in an uncertain and complex world. Taylor & Francis.
Siddik, M. A. B. (2025). Challenges and resources for inclusive education in Bangladesh: Insights from primary school teachers. Journal of International Development Studies, 33(3), 61–73.
Totini, A. T., Fuad, A. Z. M., & Alam, M. N. (2025). Exploring the implementation challenges of inclusive education policies in primary classroom practices. South Asian Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 6(3), 54–79.
UNESCO. (1990). World Declaration on Education for All. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/resources/educators/human-rights-education-training/9-world-declaration-education-all-1990
UNESCO Teacher Task Force. (2022). Welcoming diversity in the learning environment: Guidance on teacher preparation for inclusive education. Teacher Task Force.
University of the West of Scotland (UWS). (2016). University Ethics Committee Guidelines for Ethical Practice in Research and Scholarship. Available at: https://www.uws.ac.uk/media/1419/uec_guidelines_for_ethical_practice_in_research__scholarship-refreshed_sept_2016.pdf
Yang, D., Chen, P., Wang, K., Li, Z., Zhang, C., & Huang, R. (2023). Parental involvement and student engagement: A review of the literature. Sustainability, 15(7), 5859.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 South Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
