An interpretative phenomenological analysis of experienced nursery teachers’ lived experiences of inclusion in Northern Ireland over the past decade
This study explores nursery teachers’ lived experiences of inclusion within mainstream early years classrooms in Northern Ireland (NI) over the past ten years. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach was employed to examine how teachers experience and interpret inclusion within their everyday professional practice. Data were generated through eight semi-structured interviews (SSIs) with nursery teachers working across a range of statutory early years settings. IPA was selected to enable an in-depth exploration of participants’ lived experiences and the meanings they attribute to inclusion, moving beyond dominant research focusing on attitudes or barriers. The analysis identified that teachers’ experiences of inclusion are shaped by the interaction between personal values, professional identity, and wider structural and systemic influences. Participants described inclusion as emotionally and cognitively demanding work, involving ongoing interpretation and negotiation within contexts characterised by limited resources and support. Inclusion was frequently articulated through accounts of moral tension, particularly in relation to balancing the needs of individual children within group settings. Findings also indicate that inclusion is experienced as a values-based and ethical commitment, central to teachers’ professional identity, rather than as a procedural or curriculum-driven requirement. While tensions were evident between teachers’ commitment to inclusion and the constraints shaping their practice, participants’ accounts suggested a high level of professional skill, adaptability, and ethical engagement, which were often experienced as insufficiently recognised within the wider educational system. The study contributes to existing literature by providing a phenomenological account of inclusion as lived and interpreted within early years practice. It highlights the importance of recognising the relational, emotional, and systemic dimensions of inclusion, and demonstrates the need to consider teachers’ experiences in the development of policy and practice.