Teachers' Preparedness for Inclusive Education: A Training Needs Assessment Toward a Capability-Building Framework

Abstract

The successful implementation of inclusive education depends largely on teachers' preparedness to respond to the diverse learning needs of learners with special educational needs (LSENs). Despite policy initiatives promoting inclusive education, many teachers continue to experience challenges in implementing learner-centered instructional practices, managing diverse classrooms, and providing appropriate learning support. Guided by the principles of inclusive education and continuous quality improvement (CQI), this study assessed the preparedness of elementary school teachers in handling learners with special educational needs through a training needs assessment that served as the basis for developing a capability-building framework. Specifically, the study examined teachers' preparedness in instructional strategies, classroom management, assessment and evaluation, and communication and collaboration with parents and specialists. It also identified the challenges encountered in inclusive classrooms and the priority areas for professional development. Employing a descriptive research design, data were collected from seven grade school teachers using a researcher-developed questionnaire and analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, weighted means, standard deviations, and Cronbach's alpha. The findings revealed that teachers were generally prepared to implement inclusive education, with communication and collaboration emerging as the strongest competency area, while classroom management obtained the lowest preparedness rating. Respondents also reported frequently encountering challenges related to individualized instruction, specialist support, classroom diversity, and instructional resources. Furthermore, teachers expressed a high need for professional development in differentiated instruction, behavior management, disability awareness, assessment accommodations, and assistive technology integration. Based on the findings, a Capability-Building Framework is proposed to strengthen teachers' competencies, enhance institutional readiness for inclusive education, and provide evidence-based inputs for continuous quality improvement in teacher professional development.