Teachers’ Voices on Inclusive Primary Education: Training Gaps, Classroom Practice Impacts, and Reform Pathways

Although teachers’ perceptions of inclusive education in Indonesia have been widely documented, there is limited evidence on how specific gaps in professional development shape day-to-day classroom practice and reform priorities. This study examined teachers’ perspectives on training deficiencies, their classroom-level consequences, and the reform pathways needed to strengthen inclusive primary education. Using a qualitative case study with a phenomenological orientation, data were generated through semi-structured interviews and non-participant classroom observations with nine purposively selected primary teachers. Data were analyzed inductively using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, while trustworthiness was strengthened through triangulation, member checking, and peer debriefing. The findings revealed three interconnected training gaps: limited access to formal training in inclusive education, inadequate follow-up mentoring, and insufficient guidance on inclusive assessment and curriculum adaptation. These gaps contributed to reduced student engagement, classroom management difficulties, and heightened professional strain, while also constraining teachers’ pedagogical agency. Participants called for sustained competency-based professional development, access to specialist support, and clearer institutional guidance. The study contributes theoretically by positioning training gaps as a mediating link between inclusive education policy and classroom practice, and it informs policy by highlighting the need for coordinated reform across teacher development, school support systems, and implementation guidelines.