LEADING WITH INCLUSION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF TEACHERS HANDLING LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION (SNED)

GRADUATE STUDIES

This research explored and investigates the experience, challenges, coping mechanism, strategies and insights of teachers among five selected schools in Bunawan District, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur. Finding revealed that experience in handling learners with special needs were importance of patience, challenging, understand learners behavior and communicate with parents about child’s disability.The ways experiences helped in day-to-day teaching were able to develop patience, gain new teaching strategies and able to develop compassion. Moreover, strategies used by participants in handling learners with special needs include utilize manipulative toys, individualized learning instruction and differentiated instruction.Utilize manipulative toys was one of the strategies used by the teachers.The ways strategies helped to manage diverse learning needs within the classroom were learners can easily understand,less hassle and improvement of learners.However, challenges participants encountered in handling learners with special needs were lack of expertise, lack of parents cooperation, difficulty in handling special learners, lack of support from parents and cater the needs of special learners.The ways to stay motivated and positive despite challenges such as when learners learn, deep compassion,through prayers and love the work. The ways participants cope with the challenges faced in handling learners’ special education teacher were acceptance, attend training, focus on positive aspect and have a positive mindset.The kind of support received from the school administration to help cope with the challenges such as training seminar, toys and moral support from the stakeholder.In addition, the insights gained from overcoming challenges in handling learners with special needs include learners have differently ability, share strategies to fellow SNED teachers, positive outlook, importance of support from parents and understand the history of learners behavior. The ways insights helped through experiences in handling learners with special needs were improve teaching strategies and develop deep patience.

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