Care ethics as resilience: how teachers sustain inclusive education in a TribalSchool?

This study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine teachers’ experiences implementing inclusive education at a Tribal primary school in Nagaland, India. Drawing on Noddings’ ethics of care and Tronto's care framework, this study views inclusive education as a moral, relationship-based practice rooted in teachers’ empathy and community engagement. It extends care ethics beyond individual morality to show teachers’ collective efforts supporting inclusive education in diverse, low-resource ecosystems. Rural Tribal schools face challenges, including limited training, inadequate infrastructure, and cultural stigma. Through interviews with seven teachers and one head teacher, four themes emerged: Alternative Learning Techniques, Learning Through Teaching, Learning Beyond the Classroom, and Optimism for Transformation. The findings reveal a ‘compassion-driven improvisational pedagogy’ where teachers use emotional commitments to adapt teaching. This study advocates integrating care ethics into education to enhance ethical awareness and teacher-student relationships in marginalised communities. The study suggests that inclusive education policy in marginalisedregions should prioritise emotional and relational support over standardised teacher training.