Abstract

Research literacy, the capacity to access, critically evaluate, and apply research-based knowledge to inform professional practice, represents a critical competency for teachers implementing inclusive education. This chapter examines research literacy as a multidimensional construct encompassing research awareness, positive attitudes toward research, research skills, and evidence-based professional practice. The chapter analyzes how research literacy develops among teachers and school leaders, identifying key mechanisms through which school leadership, job demands, and teacher agency facilitate or inhibit engagement with research evidence. Critical barriers to research-informed inclusive practice are examined, including insufficient time for engagement with research, lack of access to high-quality research materials, limited knowledge of research methods, role strain, and organizational constraints. The chapter presents evidence-based strategies for fostering research literacy and enhancing teacher engagement with inclusive education research, including collaborative action research models, teacher-led inquiry approaches, school-university partnerships, and targeted professional development initiatives. The integration of research literacy into teacher education programs and ongoing professional development is essential for advancing inclusive education quality and ensuring that practice modifications are grounded in best available evidence. The chapter concludes that sustainable inclusive education depends fundamentally upon teachers developing research literacy and becoming informed agents in evidence-based educational decision-making rather than passive recipients of externally prescribed innovations.