Inclusive and Culturally Responsive Practices in Primary Education: Research-Based Perspectives and Educational Implications from Latin America

<jats:p>The role of primary education in human development is crucial, since primary school is where a child is socialized and the foundation for lifelong learning is laid. In increasingly diverse societies, schools must respond to students with diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds and give all students a fair chance to succeed. Against this backdrop, this chapter offers theoretical approaches to inclusive and culturally responsive practices within primary education from the Latin American lens, with its cultural diversity and continued structural inequalities. Based on educational psychology, inclusive education, and sociocultural learning theory scholarship, this chapter demonstrates how inclusive and culturally responsive practices can promote a sense of belonging among students, inspire them to be active participants in learning, and enhance academic attainment. Here, attention is similarly paid to the interconnections between routine classroom practices, teacher professional learning, involvement of parents and community, and formative assessment to create more inclusive learning experiences. The conversation is grounded in the Latin American literature around intercultural education, socioemotional learning, and universal design for learning as routes to increased educational equity. Collectively, these perspectives, as well as their implications, emphasize that inclusive and culturally relevant primary education should be framed as a pedagogical strategy within the larger context of equitable education and social cohesion.</jats:p>