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VOL. 11, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Socio-Cultural barriers to inclusive education and psychological wellbeing in tribal Kashmir
Authors
Arif Mahmood
Abstract
The present study examined how socio-cultural
obstacles to inclusion affect psychological well-being in Tribal Students from
Gujjar and Bakarwal Communities in Jammu-Kashmir State -- Anantnag District and
Bandipora District. A Descriptive Survey Design methodology was used in this
study and included a sample of 130 Tribal Students (68 Male; 62 Female),
enrolled in Secondary and Senior Secondary Government Schools. Using a
self-developed questionnaire called the Socio-Cultural Obstacles to Inclusive
Education Questionnaire (SCBIEQ) and the Psychological Well-Being Scale
(Sisodia & Choudhary, 2012), data were collected from participants.
Findings indicated that a large percentage of the respondents (72.3%)
identified socio-cultural obstacles to education as significant barriers to
their education (e.g., language barrier; seasonal migration; parental
illiteracy; gender roles/expectations; cultural disconnection with school
curriculum). Furthermore, findings also indicated that tribal students who
identified significant socio-cultural barriers to education had lower levels of
psychological well-being (p<0.001) compared to those who did not identify
significant socio-cultural barriers. Gender differences existed as female
tribal students identified more significant socio-cultural barriers (M=68.42;
SD=9.13) compared to male tribal students (M=59.76; SD=10.21). The researchers
recommended that culturally responsive teaching methods be developed and
implemented to address the educational needs of tribal youth living in Kashmir;
they also suggested developing and implementing mobile schooling systems to
provide access to education for tribal youth and providing mental health
services to support the psychological well-being of tribal youth in Kashmir.
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Pages:38-43
How to cite this article:
Arif Mahmood "Socio-Cultural barriers to inclusive education and psychological wellbeing in tribal Kashmir". International Journal of Multidisciplinary Education and Research, Vol 11, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 38-43
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