Realising diversity: inclusive education as a catalyst for awareness

A series of events beginning with the Arab Spring in 2010 and subsequent developments in the Middle East led Türkiye to receive nearly four million immigrants, mainly from Syria, reshaping its socio-economic, cultural, demographic and educational contexts. This study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional design to examine teachers' awareness of inclusive education across diverse educational settings in Türkiye, particularly in areas with relatively high concentrations of refugee, asylum seeker, and immigrant students. The sample consisted of 445 teachers, and data were collected using the Awareness Scale for Inclusive Education. No significant differences were found in teachers' awareness by gender (p > .05) or socioeconomic context (p > .05). However, teachers with postgraduate degrees reported significantly higher awareness than those with undergraduate degrees (p < .05, d = 0.25). A significant difference was also found across school levels in the Purpose of Inclusive Education dimension (F = 2.733, p < .05, η² = .01), with primary school teachers reporting higher awareness than secondary school teachers. These findings highlight the relevance of teachers' educational backgrounds and school-level contexts in understanding inclusive education awareness. Strengthening professional development opportunities and collaborative initiatives may help enhance teachers' awareness and support more effective inclusive education practices.