Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Inclusion in Early Childhood Education and Child Well-Being

Abstract

Objective: Given the essential role of early childhood in individuals’ later development, this study sought to understand how teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion in Early Childhood Education are manifested, based on their perceptions, experiences, and challenges in addressing diversity.

Methods: This study was conducted using a qualitative approach, with a descriptive–interpretative scope and a non-experimental, cross-sectional design. Fifteen Early Childhood Education teachers were selected through purposive sampling from educational institutions located in the district of Lurigancho–Chosica, Peru. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and subsequently analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, supported by ATLAS.ti software, ensuring methodological rigor and adherence to ethical principles.

Results: A multidimensional configuration of teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion was identified. The findings revealed solid knowledge of the inclusive approach and a favorable ethical valuation of diversity; however, these coexisted with experiences of sustained stress, emotional overload, and institutional constraints. Tensions were also observed between teachers’ inclusive dispositions and the practical sustainability of inclusive pedagogical practices, largely conditioned by organizational support and resource availability.

Conclusions: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education was confirmed as a structurally tensioned process, largely sustained by teachers’ emotional effort. Beyond pedagogical training, the strengthening and sustainability of inclusive attitudes also require supportive institutional contexts and strategies aimed at safeguarding teacher well-being, as a key foundation for the genuine promotion of children’s holistic well-being.