Mapping teacher capabilities for inclusive education: a comparative study of teacher development through dialogic and visual methods

Inclusive education (IE) has gained global momentum, yet the development of teachers as inclusive practitioners remains underexplored, particularly in comparative contexts. Framed by the Capability Approach (CA), this study investigates how teachers develop the opportunities and freedoms educators possess to develop, enact and sustain inclusive pedagogical practices and how national systems shape what they are able to do and become. Data were collected from 60 teachers working in Türkiye, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia (SA) through a multi-method design combining concept mapping, individual interviews, and focus groups, enabling a rich, comparative analysis of teacher experiences, institutional contexts, and evolving professional agency. Findings show that IE supports teacher development in four key domains: pedagogical adaptability, emotional resilience, collaborative professionalism, and reflective agency. However, systemic differences in policy, leadership, and cultural norms affect the depth and durability of these capabilities. The study uses a visual and dialogic methodology that centres teacher voice, supports cross-contextual learning, and reimagines inclusion not as a fixed policy goal, but as a dynamic, capability-expanding process.