English Language Teaching in Mixed-Ability Classrooms: Teachers’ Experiences from Community Schools in Nepal

This research paper explores English language teachers in community schools in Nepal. This research examines how teachers perceive and understand students with different abilities in the classroom. Recently, the debate on equality and inclusive education in Nepal has attracted attention and discussion, but it has been explained and analyzed in limited ways. The differences observed in the classroom stem from students' language proficiency, learning speed, socioeconomic background, and access to resources and opportunities. According to Rawls' social justice theory, the principles of fairness, equal opportunity, and other principles teachers use in the classroom are linked to educational justice. The data were collected through interviews and classroom observations conducted with four selected teachers from community schools. Key findings included understanding diversity and equality in mixed-ability classes; teachers' moral responsibility and student-oriented teaching; inclusive participation and student voice; and Structural constraints and injustice. Teachers' roles and agency are crucial. This research is for maintaining classroom equity. It shows that teachers should meet students' needs through ethical, educational practices, even when problems stem from systemic issues such as large class sizes, limited resources, and insufficient training. This research contributes significantly to policymakers, stakeholders, teachers, and teacher agency in advancing social justice in mixed-ability classrooms. It suggests that institutional transformation through subtle teacher development programs is essential for socially just learning in classrooms, ensuring fairness and equity, especially in mixed-ability classrooms, and prioritizing situation- and context-sensitive educational reform.