Effects of Pandemic on Special Education Teachers Teaching Hearing Impaired (HI) Students

The goal of this paper was to determine the effects of pandemic on Special Education teachers teaching the hearing impaired (HI) students. This qualitative-quantitative research was designed to see how the COVID-19 pandemic affected teachers who were educating hearing-impaired students during the mandated school closures in March 2020A three-part standardized and customized questionnaire with open-ended interview questions was given to special education teachers from three selected schools in Cebu Province. Participant responses to the online questionnaire revealed that there is a lack of preparation in online teaching which contributes to their stress. In addition, assessing Hearing Impaired students during distance learning were very hard to establish due to lack of preparation and lack of exposure to online teaching before. Also, the results indicated that teachers find it extremely stressful teaching HI students online during COVID-19. With the findings of this study, school leaders may be able to develop protective factors that help to foster resilience in special education teachers during this time of pandemic. School administrators should facilitate in improving the teaching skills of teachers through assessment of their needs and weaknesses in the delivery of instruction online. This includes giving teachers relevant trainings regarding online tools for assessment and strategies that would help them effectively teach their lesson

Parental Involvement and Academic Performance of High School Students: A Correlational Study

The main purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between parental involvement (PI) and academic performance (AP) among junior high school (JHS) students in selected schools in Cebu. This study employed a quantitative correlational design. There were thirty (30) JHS students who participated in this research who were identified using a simple random sampling method. Descriptive statistical tools, particularly mean and standard deviation were used to describe the level of PI and AP of the students. Consequently, the Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation test was run to assess the correlation between PI and AP among JHS students. Based on the findings, it showed that there is a very low negative correlation between the two variables. Thus, there is no significant correlation between PI and AP among JHS students, r (30) = - .06, p = .74. With these results, the null hypothesis was not rejected since the p-value is greater than the significance level, p > .05. Therefore, PI does not affect the AP of the students. Findings suggest that educational staff and administrators be able to identify other factors that influence the AP of the students. Because the scope of this study is restricted within the perception of students towards PI, it would be better for the future studies to let the parents of the students be involved, and their side will be taken into consideration; new variables in the inquiry – motivation and self-competence among students; and to conduct a qualitative or a mixed-method study for future studies about the topic

Lived Experience of Special Education Teachers in Quaranteaching

The closure of schools is one of the most significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teaching during the quarantine period presented unique challenges to special education teachers (SPED) who teach students with additional learning needs. This study described the lived experiences of special education teachers while teaching during the quarantine period using the qualitative phenomenology approach. Based on the findings of the study, the success of SPED teachers is defined by active communication and collaboration which help realize the implementation of quarantine teaching and learning. Moreover, four themes emerged for the challenges of SPED teachers, which include: lack of sufficient attention, support and resources from the administration; special education teachers’ technological skills must be improved; special education teachers encountered emotional flounders and uncertainties; and constraints in monitoring and assessing students’ learning and progress. Finally, the coping mechanisms of the SPED teachers are described in two themes: special education teachers adapt practices in the new teaching dynamics and special education teachers develop stress management strategies. Administrators should devise a strategy and distribute adequate funds to meet the needs of the SPED teachers and students in this era of quaranteaching