Teacher Preparedness and Attitudes toward Inclusive Classrooms

Abstract

Inclusive education—educating children with diverse learning needs within mainstream classrooms—has become a central policy and practice objective worldwide. The success of inclusion depends heavily on teachers: their knowledge, skills, beliefs, and readiness to implement inclusive practices. This paper presents a systematic literature-review style synthesis of research on teacher preparedness and attitudes toward inclusive classrooms. Using a PRISMA-informed search across peer-reviewed journals, policy documents, and gray literature, we identify major themes: (1) variability in teachers’ attitudes (from positive to ambivalent), (2) the central role of teacher self-efficacy and beliefs in shaping inclusive practice, (3) gaps in pre- service and in-service training, (4) contextual enablers and barriers (resources, leadership, policy), and (5) promising strategies to build preparedness (targeted professional development, collaborative supports, and assistive technologies). We discuss implications for teacher education, policy, and future research—arguing that improving preparedness requires a systems approach linking teacher preparation, continuous professional learning, school leadership, and community engagement. The review highlights critical research gaps (longitudinal impacts of training, culturally responsive inclusion practices, and scalable models in low-resource settings) and offers practical recommendations for teacher educators, school administrators, and policymakers.