Sociocultural barriers and support mechanisms in inclusive education: Parents' lived experiences of learners with special needs

Abstract

Learners with special needs continue to encounter multifaceted sociocultural barriers that constrain their educational participation and social inclusion. Despite legislative and policy frameworks supporting inclusive education, persistent societal misconceptions, cultural norms, and institutional limitations impede meaningful implementation. This phenomenological study examined parents’ perceptions of the barriers faced by their children and the support mechanisms that mitigate these challenges. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five purposively selected parents from Agripino P. Santos Elementary School, Laoag City, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis. Findings revealed three interrelated domains of barriers: societal attitudes and misconceptions, including stigma, discrimination, and limited community acceptance; cultural and family norms, such as beliefs linking disability to shame or misfortune and communication constraints; and  institutional and structural challenges, including under-resourced inclusive education and fragmented government support. Supportive interventions encompassed public awareness campaigns, inclusive educational programs, family empowerment initiatives, and policy reinforcement. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the study underscores that disability inclusion constitutes a sociocultural process requiring coordinated, multi-level strategies across families, communities, schools, and institutions to translate rights-based policies into lived inclusion.