INFLUENCE OF TEACHER EFFICACY AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON READINESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

This study examined the influence of teacher efficacy and professional development on teachers' readiness to implement Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for learners with special needs in the Division of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur. Anchored on Social Cognitive Theory and professional development literature, the research used a descriptive-predictive design and gathered data from 125 elementary teachers across ten SPED implementing schools. Three adapted and modified questionnaires measured teacher efficacy, professional development, and readiness in IEP implementation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. The results showed that teacher efficacy was very high (M = 3.38, SD = 0.439), professional development was very high (M = 3.41, SD = 0.379), and teachers' readiness in IEP implementation was high (M = 3.20, SD = 0.470). Both teacher efficacy and professional development were positively and significantly correlated with readiness, with professional development showing the stronger association (r = 0.725, p < 0.001) compared with teacher efficacy (r = 0.641, p < 0.001). The regression analysis further indicated that the combined predictors explained 53.4% of the variance in readiness (R = 0.731, R2 = 0.534, F = 69.80, p < 0.001). However, only professional development emerged as a significant predictor, suggesting that technical preparation, training quality, and sustained capacity-building matter more than confidence alone in actual IEP implementation. The study concludes that teacher efficacy and professional development both matter, but professional development plays the more decisive role in strengthening readiness. Targeted, research-based training on IEP development, monitoring, assistive technology, and collaborative practice is recommended.

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