Difficulties of Elementary School Teachers Towards Inclusive Education

By understanding and addressing the difficulties elementary school teachers face in inclusive education, stakeholders can create a more supportive and effective educational environment. In this premise, this study aimed to determine the difficulties elementary school teachers encountered towards inclusive education in a district under a large School Division in Central Philippines during the school year 2023-2024. Data for this descriptive-comparative study was collected from 111 teachers using a self-made data-gathering instrument that has passed the stringent validity and reliability tests—the research aimed to understand the difficulties in assessing children, the learning environment, and parental involvement. The study also investigated the differences in challenges among teachers based on demographic factors. Key findings revealed that most respondents were below 43, held MAED CAR, Master's, or Doctorate degrees, had less than 14 years of service, and lacked inclusive education training. The difficulties experienced by teachers towards inclusive education were generally at a moderate level across the mentioned areas. Statistical analysis showed significant differences in challenges related to assessment of children, learning environment, and parental involvement concerning age. However, no significant differences in curriculum modification challenges based on demographic factors were found. The finding of this study calls for mass training initiatives that provide comprehensive, targeted training so that schools can better support teachers, enhance their skills, and create more inclusive and effective learning environments for all students. Keywords: Inclusive education, elementary school teachers, difficulties, assessment of learning, learning environment, curriculum modification, parental involvement, significant differences, Negros Oriental.