Proactive teacher agency, participation of students with disabilities and progressing inclusive teacher identity in mainstream schools of Nepal

Abstract Inclusive education is a priority in policy and programmes in most countries, irrespective of the numerous challenges in its implementation. This article aims to explore how teacher agency functions to implement inclusive education in mainstream schools in Nepal so that it provides a positive participatory experience for students with disabilities. It examines how teacher agency, the perceived identity of students with disabilities and their positive participatory experiences shape teacher identity. Eight teachers from three schools, two urban and one rural, were selected purposively as research participants for interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was carried out to build a case study on inclusive education in Nepal. The findings suggest proactive teacher agency strives for more positive participatory experiences for students with disabilities. This requires a shift from traditional teacher identity towards a more inclusive teacher identity, while still functioning within the traditional curricular and pedagogical framework and operating in an environment that lacks resources. Teachers' personal factors mediated by the immediate school environment and the broader socio‐cultural and political environment are noted as causal factors that shape teacher agency. This study shows how teacher agency, student participation and teacher identity constitute a mutually dependent system that generates momentum towards inclusive education in a resource‐poor environment. It concludes that policymakers and school leaders should seek to develop this proactive teacher agency to enhance inclusive practice.