Transformational Leadership Impact on Canadian Elementary School Inclusivity for Students with Disabilities

Inclusive education is a fundamental right, yet systemic barriers such as insufficient teacher training, limited resources, and resistance to change hinder its implementation in Canadian elementary schools. Statistics indicate students with disabilities face lower academic achievement and limited social integration due to these obstacles. This study examines how transformational leadership can address these challenges by embedding inclusive principles into school policies and cultures. Transformational leadership fosters inclusivity through idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. A systematic review was conducted using databases including Academic Search Ultimate and Google Scholar, to identify relevant studies. From these sources, 45 peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2024 were selected for analysis. Key themes include leadership standards, the sustainable development goals framework, and the intersection of disability, race, gender, and class. These themes highlight the necessity of leadership-driven systemic change to ensure equitable education. Future research can employ quantitative surveys to assess the effectiveness of transformational leadership on inclusive practices and qualitative case studies to explore leadership experiences in fostering inclusivity. These approaches will provide deeper insights into policy development and effective leadership strategies to support students with disabilities.