Filipino Special Education Teachers’ Adjustment in Teaching at South Carolina

Abstract

The United States of America is facing a shortage of SPED teachers, according to the U.S. Department of Education (2022), and they need Filipino SPED teachers to close this demand gap. The growing need for skilled teachers in U.S. schools has resulted in a significant influx of international teachers, particularly from the Philippines, to mitigate teacher shortages. Filipino SPED teachers who have decided to teach in South Carolina, USA, found themselves exposed to bigger cultural and personal changes as they transitioned to new social and educational contexts and practical adaptations into new classroom management and teaching methods. Thus, Filipino SPED teachers face the challenge of integrating their professional experiences as they adapt to US classrooms. This study aimed to examine how Filipino SPED teachers in South Carolina adapt their classroom management techniques and teaching methods to meet the students' needs in South Carolina
This study employed a qualitative phenomenological technique based on Moustakas' transcendental phenomenology and recruited six Filipino special education teachers to participate in interviews. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, and the findings of the study revealed that the classroom management techniques and teaching methods applied were similar in both U.S. and Philippine Classrooms. However, the participants noticed a contrast in culture and student behavior, in the availability and access to teaching and learning resources and technology, in a shift in teaching approach from teacher-centered to student-centered, and in better admin and peer support in the U.S. The findings also highlighted the importance of adaptability in survival and professional success, a demand for continuous learning, and a need for active collaboration and mentorship to support the learning process of the Filipino special education teachers.
The findings of this study serve as a basis for school districts and policymakers to develop programs that would better equip Filipino special education teachers before they teach in U.S. Classrooms.