Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions of SW-PBIS Implementation and Support Needs Priorities in Special Schools

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current implementation status of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) in special education settings, as well as identify priority support areas based on the perceptions of special education teachers. A total of 151 special education teachers working in special schools across the country participated in the study. The Korean version of the Self-Assessment Survey (K-SAS) was used to measure both the perceived importance and actual implementation of SW-PBIS. Data were analyzed using t-tests to identify differences between importance and implementation levels priority areas were derived using the Borich needs assessment and the Locus for Focus (LF) model. The results revealed that while teachers generally perceived high levels of importance for each domain of SW-PBIS, the actual implementation levels were significantly lower. Notably, strong needs were identified in areas related to strengthening implementation systems and operational structures, such as “team formation,” “role allocation,” and “establishing evaluation systems.” Furthermore, the need for developing a data-driven decision-making system specifically through “behavior documentation” and “feedback loops” was also emphasized. High levels of need were similarly found in areas related to professional capacity building including “teacher training,” “implementation competency enhancement,” and “fidelity management.” Based on these findings, this study discusses practical strategies for establishing a teacher-centered, diagnostic-based support system and enhancing implementation fidelity to ensure the effective execution of SW-PBIS in special education settings.