Lived Experiences of Teachers, Students, and Parents in Addressing Social Inequalities in Inclusive Education for Learners with Special Needs

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored how teachers, students with special needs, and parents experienced and responded to social inequalities within inclusive education. Conducted in selected schools in Laguna, Philippines, during March–April 2026, the study involved five teachers, two students, and two parents who had direct experience with mainstreamed or inclusive educational settings. Three focus group discussion sessions were used to generate narratives concerning significant experiences, meanings, and aspirations. The data were examined through Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method, supported by member checking, an audit trail, bracketing, and detailed contextual description. Six interconnected themes emerged: resource and structural gaps; emotional labor and distress; peer dynamics of inclusion and exclusion; teacher adaptation and advocacy; communication barriers; and visions for systemic change. Teachers described overcrowding, inadequate preparation, insufficient specialist support, and the emotional demands of adapting instruction, yet they also demonstrated resilience and advocacy. Students experienced both belonging and exclusion, with visual supports, patient teaching, peer assistance, and basic sign language facilitating participation, while bullying, fast-paced instruction, and the absence of interpreters undermined learning and confidence. Parents carried financial and emotional burdens and became persistent advocates for accommodations, individualized educational support, and their children’s dignity. The essence of the experience was a shared struggle for equity expressed through teacher resilience, student vulnerability and determination, and sustained parental advocacy. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, the study developed an Inclusive Education Support Model integrating classroom support, peer engagement, family–school partnership, and system-level reform.