Abstract

Introduction.  Inclusive education is a collective responsibility for all stakeholders in the educational process, with particular emphasis on the role of principals. Principals, through their management practices, bear the responsibility of fostering educational centers that uphold the principles of justice, equality, and equity from a holistic perspective.

Aim.  This study aims to analyze the personal and professional profiles characterizing school principals in Costa Rican public elementary schools.

Method.  The research, qualitative in nature, employed a multiple case study approach involving six school principals. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and processed using Atlas.ti v.8 software. Mixed coding was employed for each analysis.

Results.  The findings reveal that the profile of school principals comprises two key areas. The first pertains to training factors, professional development, and job stability. The second corresponds to intrinsic individual factors such as vocation, values, mentors, and experience.

Discussion.  The results show minimal or no professional development attributed to limitations within the educational system in terms of updating processes on inclusive education. Conversely, the outcomes in the second area of the profile are associated with values and experiences that strengthen inclusive practices in the educational management of the center. The results are useful because they enable decision-making at the school level to strengthen actions that promote inclusive education through a “school for all” approach within the educational management.

Keywords: School management; inclusive education; school principal; professional profile; qualitative analysis