Leadership practices for school inclusion in Chilean schools

Studies on inclusion and leadership have grown significantly in recent years. However, there is a current challenge to identify specific practices associated with inclusive leadership. This article aims to understand and analyze leadership practices developed in schools with an inclusive orientation in Chile. Using a qualitative approach, a multiple-case study with an ethnographic perspective was conducted over seven months in six inclusive schools. Participant school selection was based on scores from the “Leading Inclusive Education in Compulsory Education Centers (LEI-Q)” questionnaire. Findings reveal that leadership teams are characterized by their ethics, empathy, and critical positioning; they continuously develop an inclusive school culture rooted in affection and care; promote self-training processes for both teaching and non-teaching staff; foster school participation with a pedagogical emphasis; and engage in diversity management from a collaborative perspective centered on students’ needs. The article discusses the implications of inclusive leadership for the organizational and pedagogical dimensions of school life.