ABSTRACT
Ther broad concept of the professional requirements and attributes of special education teachers is viewed as body of systematic activities that prepare Sped teachers to enhance their knowledge, skills and expertise to make more prepared to handle special learners with special needs.
This study on the instructional effectiveness and professional attributes of SPED teachers at selected private school in Paranaque City.is a descriptive study which utilized two (2) major groups of respondents: 10 school administrators; and 50 SPED teachers of four (4) selected private special education centers in Paranaque City. Frequency, percentage, weighted mean, ranking and z-test were used to treat the data. The findings confirmed the strong and mutual agreement of the respondents that the SPED teachers exhibit more than all the requirements of their profession as they exhibit their mastery and competency in teaching special learners who are mentally challenged. The data clearly manifest that these Special Education Teachers did not only effectively utilize variety of instructional strategies, pedagogies and practices, but also actively involved themselves in class activities that ensure participation of parents and special learners.
Keywords: Attributes of Effective SPED Teachers, Behavioral Inhibition, Collaborative Consultation, Individualized Education Program (IEP) Systematic Instruction
INTRODUCTION
Over the last decades, teacher education has become a “front burner” issue in the Philippine Education system. This newfound status resulted in many issues and concerns that focus on the quality of teachers, student achievement, adequate funding and other factors like lack of classrooms and instructional materials, and inadequate facilities and equipment, just to name a few of the perennial problems of the Philippine education system.
Obviously, the current highly politicized educational issues are quality education, quality teachers an d quality instruction which bring the researcher to seek answers within a defined and potential solutions, especially when her major concern is the instructional competencies of teachers handling special groups of learners – the mentally retarded – enrolled in four (4) special learning centers in private schools in Paranaque.
These equally pose a challenge to the researcher to evaluate the instructional effectiveness of these special education (SPED) teachers which is critical to the work of all teachers, especially the SPED teachers who are not only expected to deliver effective but also should possess the desired academic and personal attributes, as well as positive behaviors and practices.
It is in this spirit that the researcher conducts this study to evaluate and identify the SPED teachers’ competencies, attributes, and practices to qualify him as the educator to handle special group of learners – the intellectual disabilities.
This study is an attempt to evaluate the instructional effectiveness of special education teachers of selected private special education centers in Paranaque City.
Specifically, the following are the problems posited in the study:
1. What professional attributes are exhibited by special education teachers with respect to the following aspects:
1.1 professional knowledge
1.2 professional engagement
1.3 3. personal attributes?
2. To what level of effectiveness are the behavior and instructional practices of the SPED teachers achieved to ensure efficacy and quality instruction in the areas of:
2.1 lesson clarity
2.2 instructional variety
2.3 task orientation
2.4 learner engagement
2.5 structures instruction
2.6 cognitive development activities
2.7 expanding processes
2.8 building for learner success
2.9 learner participation and contribution; and
2.10 teacher affect
3. How significant is the difference in the evaluation of the school administrator and Special Education teachers as to the above perceived effectiveness of the behavior and practices?
4. What pressing issues and concerns on instructions are encountered by the special education centers in the operation and management of special education program of the private school in Paranaque?
5. From the findings of the study what plan of action is proposed to further the instructional competencies of the SPED teacher of the private sped centers in Paranaque?
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