Challenges and Coping Strategies of Teachers in Handling Learners with Special Educational Needs: Implications for an Intervention Scheme
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68050/JAMS.2026.429Keywords:
Education, Coping strategies, Correlational study, Inclusive education, Learners with Special Educational Needs, Teacher challenges.Abstract
This study examined the challenges and coping strategies of teachers handling learners with special educational needs (LSEN) and aimed to develop a context-responsive guide to coping strategies. Specifically, it identified teachers’ demographic profile, the level of challenges across key areas, the extent of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies, and the relationship between challenges and coping strategies. The study used a quantitative-descriptive correlational research design. Data were gathered through a structured survey questionnaire administered to [number] teachers handling LSEN. The study used frequency, percentage, and weighted mean to describe the respondents and determine the levels of challenges and coping strategies, and correlation analysis to determine the relationship between the variables. Results showed that most respondents were female, mid-career teachers, and bachelor’s degree holders. Teachers experienced low to moderate challenges overall, with instructional implementation and managing diverse learner behaviors identified as notable areas of difficulty. Teachers also reported time constraints and contextual demands as key concerns, while they generally rated institutional support as adequate. Teachers reported high use of both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. Correlation analysis showed a significant moderate negative relationship between the level of challenges and coping strategies (r = −0.411, p = 0.001), indicating that higher levels of reported coping strategies were associated with lower levels of perceived challenges. The findings suggest that although teachers use different coping strategies to manage the demands of teaching LSEN, structural and contextual concerns remain. The study therefore recommends developing a context-responsive coping strategies guide to provide practical support for teachers in managing challenges related to inclusive education.
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