Perceived Barriers to Inclusive Education Among Secondary School Principals in North East Nigeria

This study examines the barriers to inclusive education implementation as perceived by secondary school principals in North East Nigeria. School principals exercise decisive influence over the inclusive culture, resource allocation, and staff development within their institutions, making their perceptions of inclusion barriers a critical lever for system-level change. In North East Nigeria, where years of insecurity have compounded pre-existing educational challenges, principals navigate inclusion implementation in uniquely constrained environments. Using a descriptive survey design, the study samples two hundred and forty principals from government secondary schools across Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba, and Bauchi States. A validated Barriers to Inclusive Education Scale measuring structural, attitudinal, resource-based, and knowledge-related barriers is administered alongside open-ended items capturing contextual nuance. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance are used for quantitative analysis, while open-ended responses undergo content analysis. The study examines how state, school location, and school size relate to barrier perception profiles. Findings are expected to reveal resource constraints and teacher training deficits as the highest-ranked barriers, with attitudinal resistance among existing staff as a persistent challenge in conflict-affected communities. Recommendations include an inclusive education leadership development programme targeting school principals in North East Nigeria and the establishment of a regional centre for inclusive education research and practice in Maiduguri. Keywords: inclusive education barriers, secondary school principals, North East Nigeria, perception, leadership.