From Policy to Classroom Reality: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-methods Study of Inclusive Education Practices in Primary Schools

Abstract

The expansion of inclusive education in Indonesia has created a persistent gap between national policy expectations and classroom practice, highlighting the need to examine how inclusive education is implemented in primary schools. This study investigates the uneven implementation of six domains of inclusive services including student management, teacher competence, curriculum adaptation, infrastructure, financial support and school environment. The research aims to describe the level of implementation, explain influencing factors and identify pathways to strengthen alignment between policy and classroom practice. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was applied. Quantitative data were collected from 53 officially designated inclusive primary schools using a validated 40 item instrument to measure implementation across service domains. This phase was followed by qualitative interviews with principals, teachers and special education assistants to provide contextual and experiential explanations of quantitative patterns. The results indicate a generally good implementation level with a mean score of 72.3 percent. However, structural weaknesses remain, particularly in infrastructure at 61 percent and financial support at 59 percent. Qualitative findings reveal that inclusive practices are frequently sustained by teachers’ moral commitment rather than strong institutional support, reflecting a condition of moral inclusion under material constraints. These findings emphasize the importance of strengthening funding mechanisms, continuous professional development, inclusive leadership practices and school level collaboration to ensure sustainable inclusive education implementation.