Becoming engaged in inclusive practices: Narrative reflections on teaching as descriptors of teachers' work engagement

•Teaching stance contributes to teacher's work engagement.•Transformational teaching characterizes rewarding work engagement.•Reflective practices are essential attributes of work engagement.•Collective efficacy plays a crucial role in developing inclusive teaching cultures.

The article presents an interpretive phenomenological inquiry into teachers' work engagement regarding teaching aspects in recently reformed inclusive schooling in Finland. The study focused on asking about teachers' teaching experiences and the type of work engagement they reveal. The participants comprised 97 pre-service and 72 in-service teachers. The results contribute by uncovering links between inclusion and work engagement. Findings include three phenomenological themes characterizing teaching in an inclusive setting: one-size-fits-all, didactic-pedagogical, and transformational teaching. The author discusses these themes in terms of teachers' work engagement and improving teaching to better meet the needs of diverse students.