Abstract: This phenomenological study portrays the lived experiences of some Special Education (SPED) Student Teachers of Cebu Normal University, a state university, in Cebu City, who taught in non-SPED classrooms during their pre-service teaching during the first semester of school year 2014-2015. This paper looks into the challenges, adjustments, coping mechanisms and the meaning of these experiences for the twenty-two (22) SPED student teachers participants who were willing to participate in the study. The researchers made use of the descriptive phenomenological approach following the Husserlian philosophy and Colaizzi’s data analysis. They performed ‘bracketing’ activities before conducting semi-structured interviews with the participants who gave their informed consent. The highlights of the experiences of these student teachers are condensed in the following themes: “Straining Training”; “The Big Three: Classroom Management, Standards of Mentors and Making of Lesson Plans”; “Four P’s: Pray, Prepare the lessons, Practice and Positive mindset”; “Classroom CEO”; “A Blessing in Disguise”; “Half-baked Teachers”; “Ready for Battle” and “The Power of the Mind.” Results also showed that the SPED student teachers still consider the whole experience worthwhile and beneficial despite “seeming unpreparedness” since it’s like hitting two birds with one stone – one gets exposed not only to SPED but also the non-SPED classrooms in the process.
Keywords: Special Education student teacher, SPED classroom, regular classroom, descriptive phenomenology experiences, challenges, adjustments, coping mechanism.
Title: A Phenomenological Study of SPED Student Teachers Assigned in Non-SPED Classrooms: Basis for Curriculum Enhancement
Author: Matt C. Malagar, Ayn C. Villarba, Amelia M. Bonotan
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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