Vol. 11, Issue 9, Part A (2025)

Abstract
Teacher attitudes are widely recognized as a central determinant in the implementation of inclusive education. While India has enacted strong legal frameworks supporting inclusive education through the Right to Education Act (2009) and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016), local realities vary significantly across states and districts. Odisha, a state with large tribal and rural populations, faces unique educational challenges that shape teachers’ orientations toward inclusion. Within Odisha, Keonjhar district presents a particularly complex case due to its socio-economic disparities, multilingual classrooms, and resource constraints. This study examines elementary school teachers’ attitudes toward inclusive and exclusive education in Keonjhar. Drawing on international, national, and state-level research, the paper situates teacher attitudes within broader educational reforms, identifies key determinants such as training, self-efficacy, and resources, and highlights gaps in district-level evidence. Using a survey design complemented with qualitative methods, this research aims to assess teacher orientations across cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains, while also exploring the persistence of exclusive tendencies. The findings are expected to contribute both to scholarly debates on inclusive education in low-resource contexts and to practical recommendations for teacher professional development, policy, and localized pedagogical strategies.