Difficulties and Techniques: English Teachers Management in Teaching Differently Abled Students in Secondary School

Authors

  • Aslima M. Amir Illana Bay Integrated Computer College Inc.
  • Jamirah L. Dimao Illana Bay Integrated Computer College Inc.
  • Baireham A. Guianalan Illana Bay Integrated Computer College Inc.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/modern.v5i5.55

Keywords:

Inclusive Education, English Teachers, Differently Abled Students, Phenomenology, Teaching Strategies

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the teaching strategies and challenges faced by English teachers in managing differently abled students in secondary schools. It focused on the lived experiences of English teachers in selected secondary schools in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte. This study used a qualitative research design employing a phenomenological approach with five (5) participants. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were utilized in gathering the data. The findings revealed that teachers employed various strategies in managing differently abled students, which were categorized into five major themes: use of differentiated and adjusted instruction, provision of individualized support and student-centered instruction, use of collaborative learning and peer support, use of instructional materials and learning resources, and promotion of an inclusive and supportive learning environment. These strategies helped improve student participation, comprehension, and engagement in English classes. On the other hand, the challenges encountered by teachers were grouped into four major themes: communication and language difficulties, lack of resources and instructional materials, difficulty in addressing individual needs and providing support, and time constraints, lesson pacing, and workload. These challenges affected lesson pacing, classroom management, and the ability of teachers to provide equal attention to all learners

References

Al-Azawei, A., Serenelli, F., & Lundqvist, K. (2017). Universal design for learning (UDL): A content analysis of peer-reviewed journal papers. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 17(3), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v17i3.20339

Allam, F. C., & Martin, M. M. (2021). Issues and challenges in special education: A qualitative analysis from teacher’s perspective. Southeast Asia Early Childhood Journal, 10(1), 37–49. https://doi.org/10.37134/saecj.vol10.1.4.2021

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2020). Speech and language disorders. https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/

Apriliyanti, R. (2023). Alternative communication strategies for students with disabilities. Journal of Education and Learning, 12(2), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v12n2p101

Armstrong, T. (2018). Multiple intelligences in the classroom (4th ed.). ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/books/multiple-intelligences-in-the-classroom-4th-edition

Asriadi, M. A., Hadi, S., Istiyono, E., & Retnawati, H. (2023). Does differentiated instruction affect learning outcome? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 7(5), 18–33. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202322021

Azorín, C., & Ainscow, M. (2020). Guiding schools on their journey towards inclusion. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 24(1), 58–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2018.1450900

Biado, V. L. (2025). Inclusive education practices for physically disabled learners in Northern Samar elementary schools, Philippines. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 51(7), 976–988. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajess/2025/v51i72184

Bond, M. (2021). Schools and emergency remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A living rapid systematic review. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(2), 191–247. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4425683

Booth, T., & Ainscow, M. (2016). Index for inclusion: A guide to school development led by inclusive values. Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education. https://www.csie.org.uk/inclusion/index-for-inclusion.shtml

Boyle, C., Anderson, A., & Ajllen, K. (2020). Supporting inclusive education: Evidence-based practices. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Supporting-Inclusive-Education-Strategies-for-Teachers-and-Schools/Boyle-Anderson-Allen/p/book/9780367254377

CAST. (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2 http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Chitiyo, J., & Brinda, W. (2018). Teacher preparedness in the use of co-teaching in inclusive classrooms. Support for Learning, 33(1), 38–51. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.12190

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Research-Methods-in-Education/Cohen-Manion-Morrison/p/book/9781138209886

Colaizzi, P. F. (1978). Psychological research as the phenomenologist views it. In Valle & M. King (Eds.), Existential-phenomenological alternatives for psychology (pp. 48–71). Oxford University Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=KzuxAAAAIAAJ

Conti-Ramsden, G., Mok, P. L. H., Pickles, A., & Durkin, K. (2018). Longitudinal outcomes of children with speech-language impairments: Academic achievement, employment, and social participation. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53(2), 237–251. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12355

Crystal, D. (2019). English as a global language (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/english-as-a-global-anguage

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/qualitative-inquiry-and-research-design/book246896

Daniels, H. (2017). Vygotsky and pedagogy (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315624259

Dewi, N., Purnama, A., & Sari, I. (2023). Teachers’ communication strategies in inclusive English classrooms. Indonesian Journal of English Education, 10(1), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.28714

Efendi, M., Pradipta, R. F., Dewantoro, D. A., Ummah, U. S., Ediyanto, E., & Yasin, M. H. M. (2022). Inclusive education for students with special needs at Indonesian public schools. International Journal of Instruction, 15(2), 967–980. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2022.15253a

Engelbrecht P., Savolainen, H., Nel, M., Koskela, T., & Okkolin, M.-A. (2017). Making meaning of inclusive education: Classroom practices in Finnish and South African classrooms. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 47(5), 713–729. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2016.1266927

Firmansyah, A., & Hadi, S. (2023). Behavioral and emotional challenges in inclusive classroom management. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 13(1), 56–70. https://doi.org/10.5590/JERAP.2023.13.1.05

Flick, U. (2018). An introduction to qualitative research (6th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/an-introduction-to-qualitative-research/book245504

Florian, L., & Beaton, M. (2018). Inclusive pedagogy in secondary classrooms: The importance of teacher knowledge. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 62(3), 345–359. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2017.1349778

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. Basic Books. https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/howard-gardner/frames-of-mind/9780465024339

Harrison, L., & Laxman, K. (2021). Teachers’ experiences in inclusive classrooms: A phenomenological study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 97, 103236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103236

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (2020). U.S. Department of Education. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/

Jenkins, J. (2018). English as a lingua franca: Attitude and identity. Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/

Klein, B. (2020). Adapted math curriculum for students with mild to moderate support needs in an inclusive secondary classroom (Master’s thesis, California State University). https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/8c97kw26c

Kumar, R. (2019). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners (5th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/research-methodology/book258982

Lantolf, J. P., Thorne, S. L., & Poehner, M. E. (2020). Sociocultural theory and second language learning (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315624747

Magallanes, C. A., Dulan, J. B., Masiado, P., Pasaol, K. F., & Ignacio, D. (2025). The experiences of SPED teachers from rural areas in handling students with special needs. Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 3(8), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2025.270

Mahisa, R. D. P., Rezeki, Y. S., & Surmiyati, S. (2023). English teaching strategies to students in an inclusive school. Edukasi: Jurnal Pendidikan, 21(2), 316–330. https://doi.org/10.31571/edukasi.v21i2.6262

McLeod, S., & Crowe, K. (2018). Children’s consonant acquisition in 27 languages: A cross-linguistic review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 27(4), 1546–1571. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_AJSLP-17-0100

Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. (2016). Cognitive principles of multimedia learning: The role of visual and auditory modalities. Educational Psychology Review, 28(3), 591–605. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9346-7

Neubauer, B. E., Witkop, C. T., & Varpio, L. (2019). How phenomenology can help us learn from the experiences of others. Perspectives on Medical Education, 8(2), 90–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-019-0509-2

Ok, M., & Rao, S. (2019). Assistive technology and learning outcomes for students with disabilities. Computers & Education, 136, 99–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.01.015

Rao, K., Ok, M., & Bryant, B. R. (2017). Using technology to support students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Education and Information Technologies, 22(3), 1201–1216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9486-0

Rao, K., Ok, M., & Bryant, B. R. (2018). Multisensory and multimodal instructional strategies in inclusive classrooms. Education and Information Technologies, 23(4), 1501–1526. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-017-9648-2

Rose, D. H. (2002). Universal design for learning. CAST Professional Publishing. https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl

Saputra, H., & Sari, F. M. (2020). Teachers’ perception toward teaching students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning, 1(2), 15–20. https://jim.teknokrat.ac.id/index.php/english-language-teaching/article/view/73

Sari, A. P., Agustini, D. A. E., & Adnyani, L. D. S. (2020). The implementation of English teacher’s differentiated instruction to disabled students in an inclusive school. Indonesian Journal of Disability Studies, 7(2), 170–182. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.ijds.2020.007.02.04

Shakespeare, T. (2018). Disability rights and wrongs revisited (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315143309

Sharma, U., Loreman, T., & Forlin, C. (2018). Measuring teacher efficacy to Implement inclusive practices. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22(7), 675–692. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2017.1407646

Shearer, C. B. (2019). Multiple intelligences: Theory and practice in the classroom. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429423284

Soriano, R. F., Alcala, S. Q., Castro, M. A. H., & Escanilla, R. M. C. (2024). Implementation of inclusive education among secondary schools in Lingayen, Pangasinan, Philippines. Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 7(1), 279-288. https://asianjournal.org/online/index.php/ajms/article/view/559

Suprayogi, N., Valcke, M., & Godwin, R. (2017). Teachers’ use of differentiated instruction in inclusive classrooms. Teaching and Teacher Education, 65, 171–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.020

Tomlinson, C. A. (2017). How to differentiate instruction in academically diverse classrooms (3rd ed.). ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/books/how-to-differentiate-instruction-in-academically-diverse-classrooms-3rd-edition

Tracy, S. J. (2018). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Qualitative+Research+Methods-p-9781119390787

UNESCO. (2017). A guide for ensuring inclusion and equity in education. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000248254

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

World Health Organization. (2021). Disabilities. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disabilities

Zeigler-Hill, V., & Shackelford, T. K. (2020). Encyclopedia of personality and Individual differences. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8

Published

2026-10-01

How to Cite

Amir, A. M., Jamirah L. Dimao, & Baireham A. Guianalan. (2026). Difficulties and Techniques: English Teachers Management in Teaching Differently Abled Students in Secondary School. Indonesian Journal of Contemporary Multidisciplinary Research, 5(5), 841–866. https://doi.org/10.55927/modern.v5i5.55