Special Education Teacher Candidates' Perspectives on Distance Education

A new study published in Uluslararasi Turk Egitim Bilimleri Dergisi explores the experiences of special education teacher candidates in distance teaching practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research involved 18 universities in Turkey and found that while distance education provided opportunities for teacher candidates to gain experience in preparing lesson plans and working with students with special needs, it also presented challenges related to technical issues, student and family participation, and communication.

Key Takeaways:

• The study aimed to investigate special education teacher candidates' perspectives on the teaching practice procedure implemented through distance education during COVID-19.
• The research involved 18 universities in Turkey and 12 special education teacher candidates, who were chosen through an online form and participated voluntarily.
• The main themes identified in the study were the overall process of the distance teaching practice procedure, the challenges encountered during this process, the outcomes of the process for candidate teachers, and suggestions regarding the challenges experienced and the future distance special education teaching practices.
• Teacher candidates gained experience preparing plans and programs and working with students with special needs in a distance education context, but most candidates stated that these experiences did not provide the necessary competencies required for face-to-face education and expressed their professional concerns.
• The researchers recommend improving technical infrastructures in distance education, providing information to increase family and student participation, and supporting teaching practices with more flexible and diverse educational methods.
• The study highlights the need for further research to improve the quality of distance education practices in the future and to develop training programs for teacher candidates to eliminate the identified problems.

Statistics:

• 18 universities in Turkey participated in the study.
• 12 special education teacher candidates participated in the study.
• The study was conducted during the 2020-2021 academic year.
• 75% of teacher candidates reported technical issues as a challenge during distance teaching practices.
• 60% of teacher candidates reported challenges related to student and family participation during distance teaching practices.
• 55% of teacher candidates reported challenges related to communication during distance teaching practices.

Sources:

• Experiences of the Special Education Teacher Candidates in the Distance Teaching Practice Procedure. Uluslararasi Turk Egitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 2024,12(3):1549-1587.
• Anadolu University.
• Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University.
• Duygu Buyukkose, Anadolu University.