LIVED EXPERIENCES OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS IN MANAGING LEARNERS WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS: A QUALITATIVE MULTIPLE-CASE PHENOMENOLOGICAL INQUIRY
Keywords:
lived experiences, parents and teachers, learners with additional needs, inclusive education, multiple case study, thematic analysis, TULAY FrameworkAbstract
Inclusive education in the Philippines depends on parents and teachers, yet localized qualitative evidence on how both groups experience and make sense of managing learners with additional needs remains limited. This study explored the lived experiences of parents and teachers in managing learners with additional needs in selected public schools in the Schools Division Offices (SDOs) of Bataan and San Fernando City, the meanings they attached to these experiences, and the essence of those experiences. A qualitative multiple-case design with a phenomenological orientation was used. Two contextual cases, parents (home) and teachers (school), were examined through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with seven parents and seven teachers selected through criterion-based purposive sampling. Data were analyzed with Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis, first within each case and then across cases. Six themes described the parent case: daily caregiving requires constant adjustment; a child’s progress brings joy and fulfillment; love and acceptance give meaning to parenting; parenting is a process of learning and personal growth; resilience is sustained through love, patience, and hope; and every child deserves acceptance, opportunity, and support for independence. Seven themes described the teacher case, covering continuous adjustment amid behavioral and instructional demands, meaning drawn from learner progress, patience and compassion, individualized and holistic support, professional transformation, sustained fulfillment and hope, and shared responsibility and social acceptance. Parents and teachers hold different responsibilities but share a commitment to learner development, acceptance, and independence. The convergent findings informed the TULAY Framework (Trust and Acceptance, Understanding Individual Needs, Learning and Capacity Building, Alliance and Shared Responsibility, Yielding Growth and Independence) and an accompanying training program, which require further validation.
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