Teacher Preparedness and Professional Development for Inclusive Classrooms: A Global and Indian Perspective

Inclusive education has emerged as a transformative approach that seeks to provide equitable learning opportunities to all children, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. Central to the success of inclusive education is teacher preparedness and professional development. This review explores the global and Indian perspectives on teacher preparedness for inclusive classrooms, with particular reference to policy frameworks, teacher attitudes, pedagogical competencies, and the impact of professional development initiatives. The review synthesizes empirical findings and theoretical contributions from the past decade to identify trends, gaps, and implications for educational reform. Findings suggest that while policy-level commitments to inclusion are strong, particularly under India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, implementation remains uneven due to limited teacher training, resource constraints, and persistent attitudinal barriers. The paper concludes by recommending structured pre-service and in-service professional development programs, collaborative practices, and ongoing policy reinforcement to enhance the capacity of teachers in inclusive education.

inclusive education, teacher preparedness, professional development

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