Navigating Inclusion: Understanding the Experiences of Non-Special Education Teachers in Teaching Learners with Special Needs

Promoting inclusive education is on top of the trends in the academe, wherein teachers with or without specialization in special education have to teach or accommodate learners with special needs. This is because of the vigorous proclamation of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Republic Act 11650, which seeks to promote the rights of learners with special needs to acquire the same quality of education as other regular students. This study will primarily use qualitative-phenomenological research to investigate the lived experiences of non-special education teachers who handle and teach learners with special needs. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify the qualified participants for this study. Using the thematic analysis in analyzing the data that have been gathered from in-depth interviews of the participants, several themes and core ideas have been generated from participants responses, which answers the questions regarding experiences, coping mechanisms, and insights that can be shared from non-sped teachers who handle and teaches learners with special needs. Research findings provide significant implications for teachers regarding teaching and dealing with learners with special needs and create an inclusive and supportive learning environment that shows collaboration among stakeholders.