Reconceptualising Inclusive Education Outcomes Through Family Engagement: Adopting Community-Based Inclusive Education Models of Lagos State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Inclusive education has become central to global education reforms, emphasising the right of every child, including those with special educational needs (SEN), to access equitable and quality education. Despite strong policy support for inclusive education in Nigeria, particularly through recent policy frameworks, a gap remains between policy intentions and classroom practice, especially in public schools. This study examined family engagement as a determinant of inclusive education outcomes within community-based inclusive education models in Lagos State. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 301 respondents, including parents, teachers, and key stakeholders, for the quantitative phase, and 82 participants for the qualitative phase. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings showed that family engagement was strongest in home-based activities such as monitoring, learning and providing emotional and social support. However, engagement in advocacy, collaboration, and decision-making was low. Barriers to effective implementation included limited teacher capacity, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient assistive devices, socio-cultural constraints, and weak policy implementation. The study concludes that strengthening family engagement through capacity building, collaboration, and context-sensitive strategies is essential for improving inclusive education outcomes. Keywords: Inclusive education; Family engagement; Community-based inclusive education; Special educational needs; Family engagement