Dataset of Special Education Teachers in Legazpi City Philippines

www.ssoar.info Dataset of Special Education Teachers in Legazpi City, Philippines Alfane, Elizabeth E. Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Alfane, E. E. (2020). Dataset of Special Education Teachers in Legazpi City, Philippines. Puissant, 1, 113-119. https:// nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-76787-5 Nutzungsbedingungen: Dieser Text wird unter einer CC BY Lizenz (Namensnennung) zur Verfügung gestellt. Nähere Auskünfte zu den CC-Lizenzen finden Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de Terms of use: This document is made available under a CC BY Licence (Attribution). For more Information see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Puissant (ISSN print: 2719-0153; ISSN online: 2719-0161) Vol. 1, pp. 113-119 https://puissant.stepacademic.net Dataset in Focus Dataset of Special Education Teachers in Legazpi City, Philippines Elizabeth E. Alfane Extension Management Division, Bicol University, Philippines [email protected] Date received: September 3, 2020 Date received in revised form: September 29, 2020; October 5, 2020 Date accepted: November 17, 2020 Recommended citation: Alfane, E. E., (2020). Dataset of SPED Center Teachers in Legazpi City, Philippines. Puissant, 1, 113-119. Abstract The Dataset for SPED Teachers in Legazpi City was conducted to determine the status of the Special Education teachers providing inclusive education and technical vocational skills training to students with exceptionalities. The study made use of the descriptive-evaluative research method. The primary source of data was taken from the responses of the teachers and administrators with the use of a survey questionnaire, while secondary data was from the schools' records. Frequency count and percentages were employed. Findings revealed that the three SPED schools in Legazpi City were under the supervision of the Department of Education and the one private special school was under the monitoring of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. A total of thirty-six teachers have bachelor degrees in BEED SPED, Industrial Education, Elementary Education, BEED Guidance, BEED Industrial Education, BEED Math, Physical Therapy, BSE English, BSE Home Economics, Social Work and Physical Education; only one teacher has earned a master's degree; there are five teachers with TESDA NC II; salary grade status starts below SG 1 to SG 18 and; teachers are composed of six males and thirty females. The study concludes that there is a dearth of teachers with master's degrees and with TESDA NC II qualification titles, half of the teachers are receiving below the standard starting salary and teaching in Special Education is not attractive to male teachers. It is recommended that the conduct of a similar study be performed in places offering Special Education. The data that will be collected may be used as a basis in the formulation of national policies that will improve the economic condition of the SPED teachers in the country to empower the students with exceptionalities for social inclusion. Keywords – skills training, students with exceptionalities, employability, entrepreneurship This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. Background of Dataset SPED teachers play a crucial role in educating and empowering students with exceptionalities. A key role in the empowerment of Youths with Special Needs through inclusive education is to ensure they are trained in skills that are appropriate to the local labor market or self-employment. Students that were given proper intervention and skills can be employable or can even become entrepreneurs contributing to economic upliftment and social development. Prior works already investigated this field of study (e.g., Muega, 2016; BannisterTyrrell, 2018; Pawilen, 2018; Fannan, 2017; Clerke, 2015; Ford, 2013; Inciong & Quijano, 2013; Milsom, 2006; Goodman, 2006; Phelps & Hanley-Maxwell, 1997). Unfortunately, there is no information available on the dataset on Special Education teachers of their educational attainment, salary grade, vocational skills pieces of training, and sex. In some cases, studies were focused on developing a curriculum for the transition program of special learners, teachers' preparation and strategies for teaching students with exceptionalities, and creating positive school experiences for students with disabilities. The study covered 1) Rawis Elementary School SPED in Rawis, Legazpi City; 2) Pagasa National High School SPED in Pag-asa, Rawis, Legazpi City; 3) Banquerohan Elementary School SPED in Banquerohan, Legazpi City and 4) Harong Kan Sagrada Familia – Special Therapy and Education Program (HKSF-STEP) in Bogtong, Legazpi City. The population of the study was the teachers in SPED and special schools offering vocational transition programs. This study considered the youth age of the students with exceptionalities enrolled ranging from 15-30 years old. The study covered the period of SY 2018-2019. The study sought to answer the following research problems and aimed at answering the foregoing objectives: To determine the status of the Special Education (SPED) and special schools in Legazpi City in terms of the teachers' a) highest educational attainment, b) technical skills training, c) salary grade and d) sex. Based on the above-mentioned premises, the profile of the teachers in the SPED and special schools in Legazpi City along with educational attainment, salary grade, vocational-technical skills pieces of training, and sex deserve an investigation to determine whether the students with exceptionalities enrolled in SPED Centers are equipped with teachers who possess the right skills and educational degrees. This is imperative for the students to receive a quality education and available vocational transition program pieces of training based on their interests. The researcher made use of both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather facts on the profile of the teachers. The primary source of data was taken from the responses of the teachers and administrators using a survey questionnaire, while secondary data were taken from the schools' records. Frequency count and percentages were employed. 114 Results of Data Analysis It can be seen from Table 1 the educational attainment of the 36 teachers coming from 11 different fields of specialization. Only 1 teacher from SPED 3 has earned a degree Master's in Education major in SPED and has doctoral units. Table 1. Highest Educational Attainment of Teachers in Special Education Schools in Legazpi City Highest Educational Attainment SPED 1 (n = 14) Freq Master's in Education Major in SPED Bachelor in Elementary Education Major in SPED Major in Guidance Major in Industrial Education Major in Mathematics No major Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy Bachelor of Science in Education Major in English Major in-Home Economics Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education Bachelor of Science in Social Work Bachelor in Physical Education Perc ent SPED 2 (n = 7) Freq 4 Perce nt SPED 3 (n = 10) Freq Perce nt 1 10.0 SPED 4 (n = 5) Freq Perce nt 57.0 Total (n = 36) Freq Perce nt 1 2.8 14 1 39.0 2.8 10 1 71.4 7.1 1 7.1 1 2.8 1 1 7.1 7.1 1 6 2.8 17.0 1 2.8 2 29.0 1 14.0 3 60.0 1 10.0 1 2.8 1 10.0 1 2.8 7 70.0 7 19.4 1 20.0 1 2.8 1 20.0 1 2.8 115 The findings reflected in Table 2 shows that only five (5) teachers in the two (2) SPED schools have TESDA NC II qualification titles on skills pieces of training. Seemingly, the findings were not favorable because the SPED and special schools have Vocational Transition Program (VTP) offerings and teachers conducting the vocational skills program for students with exceptionalities must be equipped with such pieces of training related to the skills programs being offered. Table 2. Technical Skills pieces of training of SPED Teachers in Legazpi City Technical Skills Training SPED 1 (n = 14) Percent 1 7.1 Freq Percent SPED 3 (n = 10) Freq Percent 3 Cookery NC II Barista NC II Beauty Care NC II Trainer's Methodology NC II Trainer's Methodology 1 Commercial Cooking NC II Nail Care NC II Food Processing NC II Bartending NC II Food &Beverages Services NC II Dressmaking NC II Wellness Massage Bread & Pastry Production NC II Freq SPED 2 (n = 7) Total (n = 36) SPED 4 (n = 5) Freq Percent Freq Percent 30.0 4 11.1 2 20.0 2 5.5 1 10.0 1 2.8 2.8 1 10.0 1 2.8 1 10.0 1 2.8 1 10.0 1 1 10.0 1 1 10.0 1 2.8 2.8 2.8 1 10.0 1 1 10.0 1 2.8 2.8 1 10.0 1 2.8 1 10.0 1 1 10.0 1 2.8 116 From Table 3, it can be interpreted that 18 teachers are teaching in Special Education who are still receiving below the required starting salary. The findings inferred that one of the reasons for the dearth of SPED teachers is the low salary offered by DepEd. Table 3. Salary Grade Status of Teachers in SPED and Special Schools in Legazpi City SPED 1 SPED 3 Total SPED 2 SPED 4 (n = 14) (n = 10) (n = 36) (n = 7) (n = 5) Salary Grade Perc Perc Perc Perc Perc Freq Freq Freq Freq Freq ent ent ent ent ent Below 4 80.0 4 11.1 SG 1 7 1 20.0 1 2.8 11 3 21.4 3 43.0 7 70.0 13 36.1 12 1 10.0 1 2.8 13 4 57.0 4 11.1 14 3 21.4 3 8.3 15 5 36.0 5 14.0 16 1 7.1 1 10.0 2 5.5 18 2 14.3 1 10.0 3 8.3 It can be inferred from the data presented in Table 4 that there are only a few male teachers who wanted to teach in SPED. Teaching Special Education as a career is not attractive to males than to females, even though more male teachers are needed in Special Education schools. Table 4. Sex of Teachers of SPED and Special Schools in Legazpi City SPED 1 SPED 2 SPED 3 SPED 4 Total Sex (n = 14) (n = 7) (n = 10) (n = 5) (n = 36) Per Per Per Per Per Freq Freq Freq Freq Freq cent cent cent cent cent Male Female 3 21.4 1 14.0 1 10.0 1 20.0 6 16.7 11 78.6 6 86.0 9 90.0 4 80.0 30 83.3 117 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS The study concludes that there is a dearth of teachers with master's degrees and with TESDA NC II qualification titles. These 14 NC II technical skills training TESDA qualification titles were useful in the conduct of the SPED vocational transition program offering in the two (2) SPED schools. Half of the teachers were receiving below the standard starting salary. The salary grade classification of teachers in the SPED and special schools was a major factor in the decreasing number of teachers teaching in Special Education both in public and in private. Teaching in Special Education is not attractive to male teachers than to the females even if more male teachers were needed for Special Education. From the above findings and conclusions, it is recommended that the conduct of a similar study be performed in places offering Special Education. The data that will be collected may be used as a basis in the formulation of local and national policies that may lead to an increase in the salary and professional growth of SPED teachers. Hence, an improvement on the economic status of the teachers would consequently empower more the students with exceptionalities while maximizing their potentials resulting in the attainment of its end goal of landing jobs or entrepreneurship. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This research undertaking was made possible through the openness, assistance, and support of the administrators and teachers of Rawis Elementary School SPED, Pagasa National High School SPED, Banquerohan National High School SPED, and the Special Therapy and Education Program (STEP). They are highly acknowledged in the completion of this study. The data can be shared upon request. REFERENCES Bannister-Tyrrell, M. L., Mavropoulou, S., Jones, M., Bailey, J., O'Donnell-Ostini, A., & Dorji, R. (2018). Initial teacher preparation for teaching students with exceptionalities: pre-service teachers' knowledge and perceived competence. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(6). doi: 10.14221/ajte.2018v43n6.2 Clerke, S. (2015). Investigation of post-school transition programs being provided for students with an intellectual disability in special schools in Victoria. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11343/51053 Fannan, C. (2017). Teaching strategies for students with exceptionalities in the secondary art classroom with a focus on students with autism, down syndrome, and visual impairment (unpublished manuscript). University of Central Florida, USA. Retrieved from https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/248 Ford, J. (2013). Educating students with learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education, 3(1), Article 2. 118 Goodman, J. (2006). Teaching students with exceptionalities (unpublished manuscript). All Regis University Theses, Denver, Colorado, United States of America. https://epublications.regis.edu/theses/401 Inciong, T. & Quijano, Y. (2013). Inclusion of children with disabilities: The Philippines experience. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 24(2), 173-191. Milsom, A. (2006). Creating positive school experiences for students with disabilities. Professional School Counseling Journal, 10(1), 66-72. Muega, M. (2016). Inclusive education in the Philippines through the eyes of teachers, administrators and parents of children with special needs. Social Science Diliman: A Philippine Journal of Society and Change (SSD), 12(1), 5-28. Pawilen, G. (2018). Developing a curriculum for the transition program of special learners in the Philippines. International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 10(1), 1-20. Phelps, A. L., & Hanley-Maxwell, C. (1997). School-to-work transitions for youth with disabilities: A review of outcomes and practices. Review of Educational Research, 67(2), 197–226. doi: 10.3102/00346543067002197. Author's Biography Elizabeth Echano-Alfane completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Development Management degree from Bicol University, Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines. She is currently the Head of the Technology Innovation and Information Dissemination Section of Bicol University Extension Management Division under the Office of the Vice President for Research, Development and Extension. She is an affiliate faculty of BUCSSP and BUCBEM where she teaches General Education and business courses. She advocates social inclusion for persons with disabilities through inclusive social entrepreneurship. She curates, promotes and sells products produced by youth with special needs. She spent her 24 years as a managing proprietor of food industry and a franchise company before she joined the academe in 2019. 119