Home⇛Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives⇛vol. 3 no. 7 (2025)

Challenges Faced and Strategies Employed by Teachers in Handling Mainstreaming Classes in Secondary Schools

Desereh D. Alvarez | Maria Chona Z. Futalan | Eugenia N. Sedillo

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

This study aimed to extensively study teachers' attitudes towards challenges and the strategies they employ to guide students in inclusive environments. It presents an excellent opportunity to investigate teachers' challenges, develop practical solutions, and inform curriculum planning for enhancing inclusive education in mainstream classrooms. Through systematic sampling, the researcher employed a descriptivecorrelational design to select 180 secondary public-school teachers in Dumaguete City, strictly adhering to ethical procedures during data collection. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection, which was then analyzed using the mean, Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation Coefficient, and Point-Biserial Correlation. The findings revealed, on a 5-point scale (1 = very low extent to 5 = very high extent), that teachers handling Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSENs) in mainstream classes experienced a high extent of challenges (x?=3.52 to 3.73) in the areas of training and professional development, materials and resources, learner behavior, and school facilities. To address these challenges, teachers employed various coping strategies to a similar extent (x?= 3.68 to 3.90), including adaptive, collaborative, emotion-focused, and problem-solving approaches, as well as utilizing individualized education plans and support from colleagues. Moreover, the study found that challenges related to learner behavior and school facilities were significantly correlated with teachers' coping strategies, and that the extent of challenges encountered was significantly associated with their educational attainment.



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