Inclusive Education in Rural Philippine Schools: Examining Teacher Practices and Challenges

Abstract

Inclusive education remains a challenge in Philippine schools. This study examines inclusive education in rural public elementary schools by focusing on teacher practices, implementation challenges, and latent dimensions of pedagogy. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, data were gathered from 208 teachers and selected interview participants in the Sub-Congressional District III of Bohol, Philippines. Findings show that inclusive education practices are generally highly implemented, particularly in classroom management, instructional materials, and teacher preparation, while strategies and methodologies are comparatively less developed. Teachers demonstrate consistent engagement in planning, resource use, and classroom structuring, but encounter difficulties in differentiated instruction, managing diverse learner needs, and sustaining pedagogical confidence. Major challenges include limited instructional resources, insufficient training in special education, time constraints, and emotional stress in handling heterogeneous classrooms. Despite these constraints, teachers employ adaptive strategies such as collaborative learning, contextualized instruction, and individualized support. The paper further develops an interpretive account of adaptive inclusion, suggesting that teachers may sustain inclusion through informal and context-dependent adjustments that are not fully captured by standardized measures. Overall, the paper concludes that inclusive education in rural contexts is shaped by a tension between policy expectations and situated classroom realities, with teachers sustaining inclusion through formal practices and adaptive responses to local constraints.