Inclusive Leadership Practices and Teacher Readiness for Inclusive Instruction in Public Elementary School

This study examined inclusive leadership practices and teacher readiness for inclusive instruction in selected public elementary schools in the DepEd Schools Division of Talisay City, Cebu, during School Year 2026–2027. Specifically, it assessed the level of inclusive leadership practices, teacher readiness, and the academic performance of learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SNED). It also investigated the relationships among these variables, differences in leadership practices and teacher readiness according to selected profile variables, and challenges encountered in implementing inclusive education. The study involved three school heads, 60 teachers, and 30 SNED learners. A descriptive-correlational approach was reflected in the analyses, which included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and tests of differences. The findings indicated that inclusive leadership practices were generally high, with communication receiving the highest rating, while participative decision-making obtained the comparatively lowest rating. Teacher readiness was also high, with attitudes and acceptance of diversity rated very high, whereas instructional skills and adaptation received the comparatively lowest rating. The academic performance of SNED learners had an overall mean of 83.40. A statistically significant, moderate positive relationship was found between inclusive leadership practices and teacher readiness ((r = 0.449, p < 0.001)). However, inclusive leadership practices and teacher readiness were not significantly related to SNED learners’ academic performance. Regression analysis likewise indicated that none of the individual inclusive leadership dimensions significantly predicted teacher readiness at the 0.05 significance level. Teacher readiness differed significantly according to teaching position, while most other profile-based comparisons showed no significant differences. Challenges related to inclusive classroom practices received higher ratings than those associated with inclusive leadership. Based on these findings, an Inclusive Leadership and Teacher Readiness Enhancement Program was proposed to strengthen participative decision-making, instructional adaptation, professional development, resource coordination, and monitoring of inclusive education implementation.