Students’ Voices in Inclusion: A Basis for a Program Development Plan

Inclusive education fosters equitable learning opportunities, participation, and a sense of belonging among students with diverse abilities and learning needs. This study explored the perspectives and experiences of Junior High School students regarding inclusive education in three O.P. Siena schools in Luzon during the 2025–2026 academic year. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was utilized, involving 56 students selected through stratified random sampling for the quantitative phase, followed by qualitative inquiry. Descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlation were used to analyze quantitative data, while thematic analysis was applied to qualitative accounts. The findings indicated positive perspectives across five dimensions: attitude toward inclusion, peer relationships, academic collaboration and participation, social interaction, and sense of belonging. The sense of belonging received the highest mean, with relationships observed among the five dimensions. The strongest correlation was between academic collaboration and participation and social interaction. Qualitative findings identified four themes: acceptance through inclusion, relationships through peer support and interaction, learning through collaboration and assistance, and belonging through respect and classroom membership. Despite these experiences, challenges included limited social engagement beyond classroom activities, uncertainty in interacting with learners with disabilities, and limited understanding of disability and appropriate support strategies. Integrating these findings underscores the importance of strengthening peer relationships, collaborative learning, respectful interactions, and inclusive social opportunities. These results provide a foundation for a student-centered inclusive education program that promotes participation and belonging among learners in the schools.