Authors : Judith J. Regalado

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 4 - April

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/vpk93hxj

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/3n6j75s7

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26apr1376

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Inclusive education has increasingly been recognized as a core principle of quality education, yet its success in real classrooms depends heavily on the daily work of non-special education teachers, who are often the first line of support for diverse learners. This paper examines how inclusive classroom practices are understood, experienced, and enacted through the lenses of mainstream or general education teachers. Using a narrative literature review approach, the paper synthesizes major international policy documents and peer-reviewed studies on teacher attitudes, self-efficacy, collaboration, and classroom practice in inclusive settings. The review shows that non-special education teachers generally support the philosophy of inclusion, but their implementation is often conditional, shaped by training, confidence, time, resources, and access to specialist collaboration. The literature further suggests that inclusive practice becomes more sustainable when schools treat inclusion not as a specialist add-on, but as a whole-school responsibility supported by professional development, mentoring, Universal Design for Learning, collaborative planning, and flexible pedagogy. From the perspective of general classroom teachers, inclusion is not merely about placing students with diverse needs in regular classrooms; it is about redesigning instruction, classroom culture, and assessment so that all learners can participate meaningfully. The paper concludes that strengthening inclusive education requires empowering non-special education teachers as capable, reflective, and supported agents of inclusion.

Keywords : Inclusive Education, Non-Special Education Teachers, Mainstream Teachers, Inclusive Classroom Practices, Teacher SelfEfficacy, Collaboration.

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