This paper presents findings from the LC4Inclusion project, exploring teacher attitudes towards diversity and inclusive education in Portugal. This study is significant as it delves into an under-researched area within the Portuguese context, examining attitudes across various dimensions and their implications for inclusive education. Recent studies have shifted their focus towards understanding the attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and self-efficacy of students and teachers in relation to diversity and inclusive education (Guillemot, Lacroix & Nocus, 2022; Semião et al., 2023, Yada et al., 2022). This paper adopts the comprehensive perspective on attitudes, which includes perceptions, views, beliefs, feelings, and predispositions, as described by Van Mieghem et al. (2020). The methodology employed a mixed-methods approach, utilizing an extensive component of questionnaires administered to teachers and students across 59 school clusters and 14 in depth case studies. The questionnaire, adapted from Semião et al. (in press) and based on the Index for Inclusion by Booth and Ainscow (2002), focused on three factors: Diversity and Inclusion, Classroom Practices, and Inclusive Cultures. The study revealed overall positive attitudes towards inclusive education, with variations across different dimensions. Key findings include the influence of teaching level, with primary teachers displaying more favorable attitudes, and the impact of training on enhancing positive perceptions towards inclusion. Similarly for students, those attending elementary school presented significantly more favorable perceptions towards inclusion than those attending high school. Despite positive attitudes, the study identified areas for improvement, particularly in supporting diversity and catering to all students' learning needs. The results also highlighted a moderate level of self-reported knowledge about inclusive education among teachers. The study’s limitations include, the self-report nature of the data collection tool limits insights into how these attitudes translate into actual inclusive practices in schools. In conclusion, inclusive education is a complex challenge that requires an integrated and collaborative approach. Communities of practice in educational settings can be an effective strategy for promoting inclusive education, allowing for the sharing of knowledge and resources, collaboration between teachers, professional development, and the creation of a sense of belonging and cohesion. However, to be effective, it is essential to create favorable conditions for their implementation and operation, including leadership committed to inclusive education, adequate time and resources, and training and support for teachers. The promotion of inclusive education is a fundamental challenge for Portuguese society, and communities of practice can be an important strategy for addressing it in a collaborative and reflective manner.

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