DOI: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20261403.15 ISSN: 2329-0897

Discovering Ways of Mitigating Challenges Experienced by Special Education Teachers in Mainstream Schools

Chipo Habowa, Penda Annie
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This study focused on Discovering Ways of Mitigating Challenges Experienced by Special Education Teachers in selected Mainstream secondary schools of Western Province Zambia. The research objectives were to establish special education teacher’s challenges experienced in mainstream schools, to determine how the challenges experienced by special education teachers affect their roles and to discover ways of mitigating special education teachers challenges experienced in the two selected mainstream schools of Mongu District Western Province Zambia. The study was qualitative in nature and employed the interpretivism paradigm. The study used the Hermeneutic research design. The study used research instruments that targeted 23 respondents and these were semi structured interview guide, observation checklist and focus group discussion guide for special education teachers who taught in mainstream schools, school administrators and a PTA chairperson from one of the two selected schools. The findings of the study reviewed the following challenges; inadequate assistive technology devices in mainstream schools, insufficient trained inclusive education specialists, inadequate teaching and learning resources, lack of special education departments in mainstream schools and special educational duties being undermined as significant challenges. The study discovered ways of mitigating the challenges experienced such as adequate financial and human resource support, creating a special education department, collaboration with regular teachers, using assistive technological devices, need for flexible classroom layouts, involving parents in the need to advocates for incorporating inclusive practices into daily routines. Based on the study findings, it was recommended that school administrators allow special education teachers to submit budgets for teaching resources required, new technological assistive devices be used in mainstream schools, establish partnerships with non- governmental organizations to provide additional resources and support required, PTA chairpersons to support school initiatives on community engagements programs concerning inclusive education and furthermore to advocate for the creation of a special education departments in mainstream secondary schools. A further research on discovering ways of mitigating challenges experienced in mainstream schools can be carried out in other districts mainstream schools.

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