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International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science

( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:05/Issue:10/October-2023 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS HANDLING CHILDREN WITH

LEARNING DISABILITIES
Vivian Luisa N. Tuvida*1
*1Researcher, Holy Cross of Davao College, Sta. Ana Avenue Davao City.
DOI : https://www.doi.org/10.56726/IRJMETS45553
ABSTRACT
This qualitative study employing a phenomenological approach aimed to explore the lived experiences of
teachers handling children with learning disabilities. Specifically, it focused on the positive and negative
experiences of the teachers, the coping mechanisms employed in handling these students, and the insights that
they learned from their experiences as teachers. The study involved seven teachers who underwent in-depth
interviews in order to extract answers for the research questions provided. The interview transcripts were
then subjected to thematic analysis. Results revealed that teachers experience value formation, professional
development and struggles as they handle children with learning disabilities. Also, the coping mechanisms
employed are empathy and the use of effective learning strategies. Lastly, teachers shared that engaging in
special education gives a sense of fulfilment yet it is also acknowledged that teachers hold big responsibility
towards children with learning disabilities.
Keywords: Learning Disabilities, Experiences, Coping Mechanisms, Insights, Phenomenology.
I. INTRODUCTION
Teachers have always been known to be the biggest influencer in the life of every child. They perform
significant roles that help in molding one’s knowledge and capabilities and in this time, where inclusive
education is predominantly pushed, teachers have also added handling children with learning disabilities on
top of their priorities. True enough, this has addressed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. However,
as educational reformers pushed for inclusivity, some issues have also arisen. In the study of bin Nordin et al.
(2019), handling special education classes has also brought numerous challenges such as demanding duties,
special circumstances of students that need attention and focus, and teachers’ preparedness and readiness to
take on these big responsibilities. Hence, this study is conducted in order to discover the experiences of these
special education teachers in handling children with learning disabilities.
To make this study meaningful, it includes the stories of teachers from different schools, so a wider perspective
on the issue is explored. The results of this study can be used to inform schools and other organizations about
the best ways to support children with learning disabilities and help them reach their full potential.
The Department of Education (DepEd) in its Order No. 44 s. 2021 outlines the overall direction for Special
Education Program to ensure educational services to learners with disabilities in both public and private
educational institutions. It requires all public and private elementary and secondary schools to administer
screening exams to their students to identify those who need special education services. It also requires
individual development plans to be developed for students with special needs to monitor their progress over
time and identify areas where they need additional support. Finally, it requires the training of teachers and
other educators on the most effective strategies for teaching students with disabilities.
The Department of Education is called to enhance the capacities and skills of teachers who deal with children
having developmental disabilities and also create awareness in society to accept these children with special
educational needs. This can be accomplished through ongoing training for teachers and ensuring that children
with special needs are provided with appropriate services and learning opportunities to ensure that they can
achieve their full potential in life.
Locally, it has become evident that issues regarding special education have prevalently concerns the
educational communities as a whole. Hence, provisions of policies and guidelines particularly in special
education rose in the Philippine educational system. Schools started to offer special education to open doors for
learners with special needs. One of the pioneering special education centers in Region I is the San Fernando City
SPED Integrated School, formerly known as La Union SPED Center. The school started their operation on July
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1997. Since then, the school catered to different types of exceptionalities from hearing impairment, visual
impairment, intellectual disability, and autism spectrum disorder.
Being a special education teacher gives a lot of responsibilities. These responsibilities vary from the learner’s
academic needs, social needs, and communication needs. Thus, a special education teacher should provide
academic intervention and support to help learners with special needs succeed in any future challenges they
face. Kaur (2013) stated that being a special education teacher is very important. It takes special skills and
knowledge to handle learners who are differently abled. Giving of extra love and affection is a pre-requisite for
such teachers.
Furthermore, special education teachers are flexible because they can handle all situations where kids can be
very unpredictable. These teachers are the key players in ensuring that they meet the needs of the child with
special needs (SETI, 2018). Aside from the development of proactive strategies, special educators also deal with
the challenges of different behaviors of learners with special needs. Promoting effective teaching and learning
requires special educators to be equipped with effective skills and responses for those where difficult behavior
occurs (Park, 2012). In the classroom, special education teachers consistently report dealing with student
behavior to be the most challenging issue they face (Westling, 2010). Common misbehaviors in the classroom
often consume more than 80% of instructional time of teachers (Simonsen, 2010). According to Shah (2010),
special education is an area that is very challenging. Hence, it is a must for special education teachers to
practice teacher management and leadership for successful classroom management.
In the United States, its Education Department (2006) noted that approximately 80% of students with
disabilities receive special education support in the mainstream classroom. Due to this increase, general
education teachers are often required to differentiate their instruction for students with documented
disabilities and to share their classroom with special education staff. These changes have generated varying
attitudes and beliefs among general and special education teachers regarding the implementation of inclusion
(Murawski, 2005; Kalyva, Gojkovc, & Tsakinis, 2007; Haider, 2008). Meanwhile, in the study of Friend (2007),
he defined inclusion as the integration of students with disabilities into the general education setting with
special education supports which then aid student’s access to the general education curriculum. Inclusion
reform was forged primarily by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1994. This requires all
students regardless of their disability be educated in the least restrictive environment. However, there were
some research studies that indicate lack of clarity in relation to the roles and responsibilities of both general
and special education teachers who provide instruction in the inclusion setting (Ernst & Rogers, 2009).
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of special education teachers
who have taught learners with disabilities and how those lived experiences influenced their attitudes and
beliefs. This study will help fill the research gap in understanding the daily lived experiences of the research
participants. Furthermore, the endpoint of this paper is to create a school policy recommendation on home to
school partnership for the improvement of special education programs and policies.
Purpose of the Study
This study is aimed to look at the perception and experiences of teachers handling children with learning
disabilities. This study centered on social constructivism, as it draws from the views of special education
teachers specifically their lived experiences. Social constructivism is recognized by the researcher as the most
appropriate framework for this study specifically in structured face to face interviews. The social constructivist
was undertaken by this phenomenological study approach. Foundational to a phenomenological approach is
the assumption that human experience is mediated through personal interpretation. The phenomenological
approach provided a strong component where the basic purpose of this study is to understand the individual
experiences with a phenomenon to the description of the universal essence (Creswell, 2013). Thus, this study
primarily speaks of the experiences of special education teachers specifically in providing a comprehensive
description of the phenomenon described.
Significance of the Study
Specifically, the outcomes of this study aim to benefit the following:

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Education Department. The results of this study may be beneficial to the educational system in general since
it will give awareness to the curriculum developers on the lived experiences of teachers handling learners with
disabilities. This will then serve as basis for policies and programs such as prioritizing the recruitment and
training of qualified professionals to provide special education services as well as ensuring that children with
disabilities have access to quality educational opportunities to achieve their full potential in society. Moreover,
the results of this study can serve as a viewpoint for the government to strengthen its efforts to promote public
awareness towards the needs of children with disabilities and ensure that they are afforded the same rights and
opportunities as their peers.
School Administrators. The results of this study are important towards school leaders as the information
gathered for this study can serve as guide in giving all-out support to Special Education school policies and
programs. Basically, the support of school administrators plays an important role in ensuring that all students
most especially those with learning difficulties have access to a quality education.
Special Education Teachers. This study is beneficial primarily to the SPED teachers since this serves an
avenue for them to better express themselves most especially the significant insights, they have acquired in
their experiences of handling learners with learning disabilities. This study can also serve as a reference point
for them in evaluating and helping themselves deliberate necessary strategies and techniques as they deal with
children who require special needs.
Parents. Through this study, the parents will become more oriented on the experiences of their children’s
teachers as well as the experiences of their own sons or daughters. Since they play a critical role in helping their
children reach their full potential in life, this study can also help them become more knowledgeable about their
child’s needs. Also, this study can help them become more encouraged to show support towards the education
of their children.
Students. Since this study provides relevant stories and experiences of teachers handling learners with
learning difficulties, this will then consequently benefit the students who have special needs because their
stories will be heard. With this being said, support and most importantly understanding will be attained from
the people around them. Other students could also benefit from this in a way that they will become more
oriented on the life of those students who have learning disabilities. This can also serve as a wake-up call for
them to become more respectful and understanding towards their co-students with special needs.
Future Researchers. This study can help future researchers since this will serve as basis in the conduct of
further studies related to special education.
Research Objectives
This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of teachers handling children with learning disabilities. It has
the following specific objectives:
1. To describe the teachers’ experiences in handling children with learning disabilities.
2. To discover the coping mechanisms employed by the teacher in handling children with learning disabilities.
3. To share insights that can be learned from experiences of teachers in handling children with learning
disabilities.
Theoretical Lens
This study is anchored through the social model of disability by Oliver (1990;1996) and Barnes (1991) as cited
in the book of Glazzard et al. (2019). In this disability theory, the proponents explained that disablement is
socially shaped rather than being innate with the individual’s biological make-up. Also, they added that
disability, is associated with the loss or restriction to participate equally with other people because of physical
and social barriers. In terms of education, Goodley (2001) as cited in the same reference, also affirmed the
precepts of social model of disability in its claim that it is important to view learning difficulties as a cultural,
social, political, historical, discursive and relational phenomena rather than a biological construct. This social
model theory has also provided teachers handling children with learning disabilities some theoretical
underpinning which they could find inspiration on. Firstly, teachers are called to think of their practices in
order to identify if there are barriers to access participation, and achievement for learners with specific

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difficulties. Then, these teachers are asked to remove these barriers so that the learners can fully maximize
opportunities for them.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Review of pertinent literature for this topic is included in this part. This specifically uncovers related researches
and journals both written locally and internationally that are identified as relevant to the understanding of the
present study.
Experiences of Teachers Handling Children with Learning Disabilities
In the study of Gam (2018), most of the teachers who handle students with learning difficulties have
experienced difficult and challenging situations such as experiencing burnout because of many other school
tasks, high workloads, stress, and poor working conditions which led them to harbor negative attitude towards
their work. Meanwhile, Mason-Williams et al. (2020) shared that because of some experiences of difficulties of
teaching special education classes, shortage among special education teachers has also been experienced by
many schools. Kassah et al. (2018) also expressed that in Ghana, meeting the educational needs of children with
disabilities is its main focus as stated in its 2006 Persons with Disability Act. However, despite giving focus on
this, experiences of discrimination and cultural stereotypes especially towards the students have been felt by
many and teachers tend to get affected by such experience. Teachers have also been encouraged to engage
themselves in professional development in order to better themselves in terms on how they handle their
students with learning disabilities (So et al., 2021). Similarly, in the studies of Pit-ten Cate et al. (2018) and
Kebbi (2018), special education teachers are exposed to trainings and workshops for the purpose of knowing
how they can improve themselves in terms of giving varying learning activities and emotional support towards
children with learning disabilities.
Lessons and Insights of Teachers in Handling Children with Learning Disabilities
Pui (2016) stressed in her study that it is necessary for special education teachers to help enhance the
academic attainment and self-confidence of learners with specific learning disabilities and this could be done
through differentiated curriculum design for this special education classes. She further stressed that the
inclusion of elements such as learning knowledge, values and attitudes, and generic skills must be possessed in
the suggested curriculum design. Meanwhile, Subba et al. (2017) shared that students with learning difficulties
must be supported by teachers in a wide range of areas but there were still many of these special education
teachers who do not feel adequately equipped to address learners’ concerns in the classrooms. Hence, there is
an immense need to promote teachers’ knowledge and skills in addressing learning difficulties of the students.
These claims truly support the study of Howe et al. (2018) that special education teachers hold big great
responsibilities in ensuring the development of the academic achievement of children with learning disabilities.
III. METHOD
The methods used in this study are described in this chapter. It includes the research design, participants and
sampling, ethical issues, the role of the researcher, data collection and the validity of the study.
Research Design
This study made use of qualitative design specifically phenomenological research design. As mentioned by
Barrow (2017), phenomenology aims to elucidate the meanings of the lived experiences in routine practice of
the research participants. Wertz (2005) added that this phenomenology as a qualitative research method
places more emphasis on the first-person experiences. Hence, the researcher, who is considered as the main
instrument of this study as the data gatherer and recorder, conducted in-depth interviews with the participants
in order to gather information and delve into the significant experiences of the research participants about how
they handle learners with learning disabilities. The interviews conducted adhered to proper health protocols
and safety standards. Because of this, the interviews were recorded on audio files and transcribed to ensure the
integrity of the data collection process.
Participants Sampling
The research participants for this study are seven (7) teachers handling children with learning disabilities.
These teachers are identified as Special Education teachers with three (3) years or more of experience in the
field. To ensure equal opportunity for the said SPED teachers, purposive sampling was used. Purposive
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sampling as explained by Daniel (2012), is a form of non-probability sampling in which researchers rely on
their judgment and criteria set in choosing members of the population to participate in their study. This
sampling method allows the researcher to properly choose participants based on a particular profile being
targeted in this study.
Ethical Considerations
In my capacity as a researcher, I adhered to all accepted guidelines and practices when doing qualitative
research. I agreed to abide by the following ethical principles while dealing with the human participants and
ensured that they are given utmost importance and priority all throughout the conduct of this research study.
Social Value. Since this study aims to improve special education programs of the country, then this can
consequently improve the educational experiences of SPED teachers and most specially the students who have
learning disabilities. The results of this study can be a good source of information in initiating services for the
betterment of the said special education department in Philippine schools. Through this study, the society as a
whole will become more knowledgeable on the experiences of teachers handling students with learning
disabilities, and as they become more oriented with these experiences, more understanding and more support
can be ignited from the community, stakeholders and all people in general.
Informed Consent. This is observed through informing my participants about the purpose, procedures,
benefits, potential risks, and limitations of the research. They are then asked for their consent before
proceeding with the research through affixing their signature in the informed consent form which presents all
the necessary information that the research participants need to know about the conduct of this study. In here,
the participants are also oriented that their participation is purely voluntary and that they are free to decline or
withdraw from participation at any time.
Risk, Benefits and Safety. In order to protect the participants from possible risks such as health concerns due
to COVID 19 pandemic and other communicable diseases, the researcher initiated to conduct the interview
through an online platform. Also, it was emphasized that if distress and discomfort are experienced by the
participants when they answer the questions given, proper actions will be done such as voluntary withdrawal
on the part of the participants or debriefing procedures will be conducted for them. As always, in the conduct of
this study, the participants benefits and safety will be the priority of the researcher.
Privacy and Confidentiality of Information. The Data Privacy Act of 2012 is strictly followed. All the data
required and information gathered for this study were handled with highest confidentiality. The individual
profiles and survey data were coded and stored properly. The researcher has used different alphabetical and
numeric codes. To guarantee complete anonymity, all sensitive information in the respondent profile were
encrypted using the said codes. Additionally, the researcher ensured the disposal of all data after the
completion of the study by deleting the Google Form link and any other electronic copies that contained the
responses of the participants. Lastly, the hard copies were shredded.
Justice. In this study, prejudices were eliminated most especially in choosing the research participants. To
ensure that this is done, all possible research participants were given an equal chance to participate and that
they were all fairly determined. This means that in the selection of whoever will participate, purposive
sampling was done wherein a set of criteria was determined and whoever is suited to the said criteria are the
ones who will be asked to participate. Moreover, it was ensured that the participants received fair
compensation through giving of tokens for the time they have spent in participating in the interview. Aside
from the token, refreshments and certificates of recognition for their significant contribution and involvement
in the study were also given.
Transparency. Since it is crucial that the participant understands the study’s objectives, then the researcher
made sure that they were briefed about the pertinent details which they should be aware of in this study. The
interview transcripts were also verified for correctness. Additionally, all research participants were informed of
any potential conflicts of interest. Furthermore, the results of this study will be endorsed to the Graduate
School for future references. Lastly, this will also be presented at any local or international research conference
and will be published for wide dissemination.
Qualification of the Researcher. The researcher is currently enrolled in the master’s program majoring in

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Special Education- Area 2. As a student, the researcher has prior knowledge and experience in conducting
qualitative research. Moreover, the research adviser and panelists has assisted her throughout the completion
of the research study. As a researcher, she is confident that she is qualified to do this research. Her curiosity
drives her to participate in this research study in order for her to determine the lived experiences of teachers
handling children with learning disabilities. She is task-oriented person who concentrates on what has to be
done and makes it happen. With this, she is open to any recommendations and advice from professionals whose
competence are commendable for the betterment of the researcher’s study.
Adequacy of Facilities. All information were gathered through online mode due to some health concerns
engulfing the country and the world in general. To ensure the sufficiency and availability of necessary facilities
and resources in the conduct of this study, the researcher used most of her time reading additional scholarly
research publications and citations online that have helped her develop her understanding, analysis,
transcription and interpretation of the data gathered.
Community Involvement. In this study, it was ensured that no harm towards local customs, culture, or people
were done rather, utmost care was practiced to guarantee that the community is well-respected.
Role of Researcher
The goal of qualitative research is to understand the thoughts and experiences of the participants (Sutton &
Austin, 2015). Hence, the researcher plays a significant role in ensuring that this goal is achieved. However, this
can be difficult because it involves asking participants about things that may very personal to them. So, as the
data gatherer and recorder of this study, I assured that this study was carried out in strict compliance with
ethical standards and considerations.
Research Instrument
The instrument used in this study is interview guide questions. According to DeCarlo (2018), an interview
guide is a pre-made list of questions that the interviewer can use as a starting point for questions that can help
further the study objectives. From the guide questions provided, emerging themes and core ideas are extracted
that would help the researcher better understand the phenomenon being studied.
Data Collection
An informal semi-structured interviews towards the research participants were used in this study. In the
interview, participants are allowed to open up and discuss about their experiences. By using this technique, I
was able to learn about the experiences, coping skills and life lessons of the teachers in their dealings with
students with learning disabilities.
All essential procedures, such as obtaining a Research Ethics Committee Certificate, shall be followed before
data collection. Also, I sought permission and approval to conduct the study from the authorities such as the
Dean of the Graduate School, Schools Division Superintendent, and school heads.
Furthermore, the selected participants were provided with a completed consent form before the actual
administration once the necessary approval have been obtained. This consent form was sent to their email or
Facebook Messenger. Once they have decided to take part, they signed the document or check the box
indicating their willingness to participate. Focus groups and in- depth interviews were then conducted online
using the Google Meet or Zoom. To gather data, I conducted unofficial semi-structured interviews where the
participants were able to express themselves and share their experiences.
IV. DATA ANALYSIS
The participants were interviewed and their answers were then subjected to thematic analysis. In doing this
thematic analysis, the researcher followed the technique in identifying patterns in qualitative data as presented
by Lester et al. (2020). This includes striving to provide broad descriptive statements to address the research
objectives. Specifically, it involves getting familiar with the data presented, preparing and arranging the data,
transcribing it, memorizing it, coding it, developing categories and themes from coded passages, and being clear
about the analytic process. These processes were done in a methodical manner although flexibility is still
accepted especially when it is necessary to adjust the processes of analyzing data.

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Trustworthiness of the Study
The degree to which it is possible to rely on the study’s data, interpretation, and methodology is referred to as
the study’s trustworthiness or rigor (Connelly, 2016). It is important to establish protocols and procedures to
guarantee accuracy and practicality of the results.
Credibility. In here, credibility is addressed through triangulation. Triangulation is the process of frequently
spotting across many field sources. Building credibility and trustworthiness can be done through the
participants’ verification and sustained participation (Stahl & King, 2020). By conducting in-depth interviews
and focus-group discussions to ensure sharing of factual experiences, I shall thereby establish credibility.
Transferability. The aspect of transferability can be shown through the clear assumption of the participants
about the research setting and its context. Consequently, I shall attain transferability by displaying that the
study’s findings can be transferred to other contexts where it can be used for possible application to other
similar situations, people and occurrences.
Dependability. Stahl and King (2020) claimed that dependability is addressed when strict methods and
processes for data collection and analysis were adhered. In this study, I have established consistency and
stability of the findings. Also, I have emphasized the importance of being able to produce data that will bring
benefits to the teachers, students and educational sector as a whole.
Confirmability. This aspect of trustworthiness is completely based on the participants’ responses. In other
words, confirmability is addressed when there is an assurance that the sharing of insights and experiences is
free from any bias or personal interests. The interpretation of the given responses by the participants must not
be clouded with prejudices instead objectivity towards it must always be upheld by the researcher.
V. CONCLUSION
This chapter presents the findings of the study which uncover the key takeaways and insights of the
participants. Also, this section presents the discussion of these results which are then supported by different
literature. Aside from these, implications were drawn and suggestions for actions were made.
In order to gather comprehensive data with regard to the flow of this study, the researcher focused on the
following research questions: What are the significant experiences of teachers in handling children with
learning disabilities? What coping mechanism strategies do teachers employ in handling children with learning
disabilities? What insights can the participants in this study share towards others as they handle children with
learning disabilities?
Significant Experiences of Teachers Handling Children with Learning Disabilities
After the conduct of in-depth interviews with the research participants as well as the analysis of their
responses, themes were extracted from their answers. There were three themes that emerged for the first
research question. These themes include value formation, professional development and experiences of
struggles in handling children with learning disabilities.
The research participants believed that through their dealings with special education programs, they were able
to hone their values and skills more. The values of resourcefulness, understanding, and patience were formed
as they deal with children who have learning disabilities. They shared that through their exposure with these
children, they tend to become resourceful in terms of the activities they give their students even with the
materials they provide in order to make their classes more relevant to the students. Moreover, Special
Education teachers have developed the value of understanding and patience. For them, it is given that
challenges and struggles in handling these students are really encountered by them. However, one good thing
that they experienced despite these hardships is being able to develop the sense of being more understanding
and patient towards these students. They acknowledge that as teachers they have to be more compassionate
and considerate towards their students. These findings also verify that of the results of the study of Saloviita
(2020) when he mentioned that positive teacher attitudes such as the ones mentioned above are mostly
experienced by Special Education teachers and that these positive attitudes are essential for the success and
development of children with Special Education Needs (SEN) especially when these children are placed in
mainstream classrooms.

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Aside from value formation, the participants also experienced undergoing more trainings and seminars in order
to become more knowledgeable and skillful as they handle classes with children who have learning disabilities.
They expose themselves in many professional development activities that have helped them discover more
strategies to improve how they should approach students who have learning struggles. This finding testifies to
the study of Pit-ten Cate et al. (2018) when they claimed that teacher training programs focusing on the
development of teachers’ competence in handling SEN play a crucial role in order to assure that these students
are well-taken care of. Also, Kebbi (2018) mentioned that teachers exposed to SEN must work hand in hand and
talk about methods and instructional practices that need to be modified for better implementation in these
special education classes.
The last theme that emerged from the interview transcripts is the common experiences of struggles which were
faced by the teachers in their classes. Most of the responses talked about the difficulties they experience such as
experiencing many restrictions and considerations that must be upheld. Although mainstream classes also have
restrictions, it is not as tedious and meticulous as those in special education classes. Also, teachers experience
slow-paced teaching that they are bounded with the responses of their students. There were also many
discussions of the struggles of handling students’ emotional tantrums that it can also drain and cause stress
towards the teachers. Another one is that since every child has a unique set of problems, there are also unique
solutions that are required from teachers. These findings as shared by the research participants conform to the
claims of Ondrasek et al. (2020) when they have also enumerated some common struggles faced by Special
Education Teachers. These experiences include inadequate preparation and professional development,
challenging working conditions, and inadequate support and compensation.
Coping Mechanism Strategies Employed by Teachers
There were two themes that emerged for the second research question. Based on the responses of the students,
they consider the feeling of empathy and the use of effective learning strategies as the coping mechanism
strategies used by teachers in handling children with learning disabilities.
Teachers believe that empathizing with the students allowed them to cope with the everyday struggles that
they experience. They learned to adjust to the different needs of their students. All of them acknowledged the
fact that putting themselves in the shoes of these children has made them become more understanding and
patient and this has then resulted for them to never let the struggles stop them from doing and giving their best
for the betterment of these children. This result agrees to the claim of Fernandes et al. (2021) when they
emphasized that empathy in special education must be developed so that the thoughts and feelings of the
students will be understood.
The second theme that emerged for the second research question is using of effective learning strategies. The
teachers shared that the approaches that they used in the classroom most especially those that are proven to be
effective truly helped them in handling their students. The teachers have identified few strategies such as
breaking tasks into smaller activities, managing time and setting priorities, modelling, and using of visual aids
and multi-sensory learning techniques. These strategies have helped them to cope with the problems that they
encountered in the class since they are identified as effective, and as a result, teachers’ work in handling
students with learning disabilities lightened. The results of identifying effective learning strategies particularly
managing time and setting priorities as well as the use of multi-media as coping strategies support the study of
Kebbi (2018) and Tohara (2021) when it came out in their studies that being able to organize classroom
activities properly and being able to expose oneself in digital literacy training would definitely reduce stresses
caused by the challenges of special education classes.
Insights Learned from Experiences That Can be Shared to Others
There are two themes extracted for this research question. These are sense of fulfilment and acknowledgment
that teachers hold big responsibility towards children with learning disabilities. Teachers believed that these
are the insights that they personally learned from their experiences which they wanted to share to others.
During the in-depth interviews, all teachers expressed that teaching children with learning disabilities give
them a sense of fulfilment. They particularly shared that looking at the development and successes of the
children they handle no matter how big or small gives joy and bring pride to them. For these teachers, one thing
that could bring fulfilment to them is to see that their students although challenged with some learning
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disabilities are slowly accomplishing little milestones in their academic journey. Lastly, the acknowledgement
of the teachers that handling learners with learning disabilities entails a very big responsibility. All of them
recognized the fact that being a Special Education teacher does not only focus on delivering lessons and guiding
students but also acquiring a much bigger responsibility of being able to fully be of service to these students.
Also, it is acknowledged that having this job requires them to do and give their best that these students with
learning disabilities are given equal opportunities and services to better themselves as individuals and as
future assets of their communities. True enough, this finding is parallel to the emphasis given by Howe et al.
(2018) that special education teachers possess great responsibilities over their students most especially in
ensuring achievement of justice, equal opportunity and social acceptance.
VI. REFERENCES
[1] Barrow, D. (2017). A Phenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Parents of Young Children with
Autism Receiving Special Education Services. Dissertations and Theses of PDX Scholar, 4035.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.5915
[2] bin Nordin, M. N., Mustafa, M. Z. B., & Razzaq, A. R. B. A. (2019). The Practice of Headmasters'
Leadership and Its Effect on Job Satisfaction of Special Education Integration Program (PPKI) Teachers
in Johor, Malaysia. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 7(9), 2008-2014. http://www.hrpub.org
[3] Carroll, A., Forrest, K., Sanders-O’Connor, E., Flynn, L., Bower, J. M., Fynes Clinton, S., York, A., & Ziaei, M.
(2022). Teacher Stress and Burnout in Australia: Examining the role of interpersonal and
environmental factors. Social Psychology of Education, 25(441-469).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-022-09686-7
[4] Connelly, l. M. (2016). Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research – ProQuest. www. proquest.com.
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