¹Maria Cristina O. Derraco , ²Leomar S. Galicia

^1,2University of Perpetual Help System Laguna, Binan City, Laguna

This study utilized the phenomenological research design which aimed to understand the lived experiences of the parents of the learners with special educational needs in distance learning at Pulo National High School- Special Education (SPED) Center. The researcher utilized the framework of Moustakas (1994) which involves bracketing, horizontalization, theme clustering, textural description, structural description, and essence. With the in-depth analysis of the significant statements from the verbatim transcriptions, nine (9) themes emerged. The parents of learners with special educational needs in the implementation of distance learning experienced challenges that include, the pros and cons of distance learning, the need for professional teachers’ intervention, implications on learners’ behavior, competing demands of being a parent and a learning facilitator and learning loss and social gaps. To be able to cope with their experiences for having children with special needs in distance learning , parents must have strong parental involvement and family support system, positive mindset, emotional stability, and strong faith as well as teachers who possessed commitment and compassion. The findings implied that experiences in distance learning of the parents of the learners with educational needs were truly challenging which entails the difficulties and opportunities of distance learning, the need to have professional experts, social and behavioral implications of distance learning to their children, different roles they played in the education of their children and the trouble of thought of the development of the students. Given the challenges that parents experienced in distance learning, the chance of overcoming the struggles is possible through the help and support of the family members, and teachers, by being optimistic, strong, and by being faithful to God.

phenomenology, special education, learners, special educational needs, parents

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Volume 05 Issue 06 June 2022

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