From Aspiration to Transformation: A Phenomenological Study of Special Needs Education Teachers in Handling Learners with Reading Difficulties

Abstract

Teachers foster positive education to an inclusive learning however, they often encounter complexities in teaching Special Needs Education Learners with reading difficulty (Alcayde, Basilan, 2024).This article aimed to explore the lived experiences of Special Needs Education teachers in addressing the learners with reading difficulties. This study was anchored in phenomenological research and was conducted within the province of South Cotabato, with only the identified teachers participating in this research. The participants shall be teachers from any of the municipalities in South Cotabato or from the City of Koronadal. With six (6) participants, we, the researchers, were able to pinpoint seven (7) themes (Differentiated Strategies, Understanding the Learners, Patience, Consistency, and Persistence, Challenges and Emotional Response, Communication and Collaboration, Reflection and Growth, Transformative Learning of Teachers).This study revealed that teacher training programs should include strategies for identifying individual learning difficulties and implementing differentiated interventions. We suggested to conduct ongoing research to explore effective strategies for supporting Special Needs Education teachers in managing the emotional demands of their profession and preventing burnout.