Professional Challenges of Educators in Inclusive Education
Educators, including teachers and professional associates, increasingly face challenges that extend beyond traditional pedagogical roles, particularly when working with children with developmental difficulties in inclusive educational settings. In addition to instructional responsibilities, they are expected to respond to diverse learning and behavioral needs, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, communicate with families, and provide sustained emotional support to students. These demands require high levels of professional competence, flexibility, and emotional engagement, which can place considerable strain on educators’ psychological resources. This issue is particularly relevant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where inclusive education has been formally promoted, but where structured support for educators is often fragmented. In such conditions, educators may rely heavily on personal commitment to compensate for systemic gaps, which may further increase vulnerability to stress and burnout. Thus, the aim of this review paper is to provide a systematic analysis of literature published between 2010 and 2025 focusing on psychological challenges faced by educators in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both empirical and review studies addressing professional stress, emotional labor, emotion regulation, social support, and mental health interventions were examined. The findings indicate that effective emotion regulation, supportive work environments, and strong institutional and collegial support are key protective factors in preventing burnout and sustaining professional well-being.