Examining Contemporary Challenges to Inclusive Education Implementation in Rural Public Senior Secondary Schools in Katsina State, Nigeria

The study examined contemporary challenges to inclusive education implementation across rural public senior secondary schools across the three senatorial districts (Katsina Central - KC, Katsina South - KS and Katsina North - KN) of Katsina State. A descriptive survey design was employed in the study. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socioeconomic characteristics, resource implementation, involvement, and challenges from 210 teachers sampled using multistage sampling procedure. Frequency counts, means, standard deviation, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression were employed in data analysis. Results revealed that the respondents were predominantly males (72.9%) with bachelor's degrees (66.2%) and moderate teaching experience. The majority ( 67.1%) had no special education training, with only 30.5% attending workshops. The implementation result revealed poor resource availability with 98.6%, 98.1% and 96.2% lacking braille materials, hearing aids, and assistive technology devices, respectively. Overall (40.5%), implementation level was low. Involvement was worrisome, with 80.5% never advocating for inclusive resources and 75.7% not engaging in professional development. District-level analysis revealed significant variations with KS (77.8%) having low implementation and 73% low involvement, while KC showed better performance with 50% high implementation level. Key challenges included inadequate funding (84.3%), poor policy implementation (84.8%), insufficient teacher training (78.1%), and shortage of specialists (81%). Regression analysis indicated that gender, teaching experience, and education level influenced implementation, with female teachers showing better implementation outcomes. Advanced education (M.Ed) improved theoretical understanding but created a theory-practice gap in practical skills application. Substantial implementation gaps existed between inclusive education policies and practice in rural Katsina State schools. Critical challenges include inadequate resources, limited teacher training, poor stakeholder involvement, and significant district-level disparities. It is recommended that targeted interventions on funding mechanisms, teacher training programmes, resource provision, and district-specific implementation strategies should be pursued by the state government.