Catalyzed Collaborative Governance: A Conceptual Framework for Addressing the Special Education Teacher Shortages in Indonesia

The shortage of special education teachers (SETs) is a global challenge that threatens the realization of the right to equitable education for students with special educational needs. In developing countries, this issue reflects multidimensional challenges in public governance. Using a qualitative approach grounded in constructivist grounded theory, this study examines how key actors construct meaning around SET shortages, interact across institutional boundaries, and build the initial foundations for collaborative governance. Data analysis yielded a conceptual framework, Catalyzed Collaborative Governance, that highlights the role of catalytic processes in fostering cross-sector collaboration in contexts where shared agendas and inter-institutional reflective capacities have not yet fully developed.