Teachers’ Implementation of Inclusive Education in Rural Schools of Kazakhstan

Inclusive education has become an important component of educational reform in Kazakhstan, particularly through efforts to align national education policy with international principles of equity and access. However, implementation remains uneven between urban and rural schools. This study explores how teachers implement inclusive education practices in a rural secondary school in Northern Kazakhstan. A qualitative case study design was employed using semi-structured interviews with sixteen teachers working in inclusive classrooms. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings indicate that teachers demonstrate strong commitment to supporting students with diverse learning needs and regularly adapt instructional practices to promote classroom inclusion. At the same time, participants identified major challenges, including limited professional preparation, shortages of specialized support staff, insufficient instructional resources, and infrastructure constraints affecting rural schools. The findings further suggest that although inclusive education is increasingly emphasized within national educational policy, implementation in rural schools continues to be shaped by structural inequalities and unequal access to institutional support. The study contributes to the limited literature on inclusive education in Central Asia and highlights the importance of strengthening teacher professional development, institutional support systems, and rural educational infrastructure.