Between Innovation and Inclusion: Teachers’ Experiences of Preparing and Using Technology in Special Needs Education

Special Needs Education teachers in the Philippines are expected to use technology while responding to the varied needs of individual learners, but little is known about how they turn digital skills into accessible classroom instruction in local public schools. This qualitative study, which had a descriptive phenomenological orientation, explored how Special Needs Education teachers experience technology integration, including their reasons for choosing the field, the practices and challenges they described, and their recommendations. Thirteen purposively selected teachers from two public schools in the Schools Division of Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines, answered four open-ended questions in writing through an online form, and their responses were analyzed thematically. Four themes emerged: (1) from assigned responsibility to purposeful commitment, as teachers, some of whom entered the field through administrative assignment, found meaning in supporting learners; (2) making learning accessible and meaningful through adaptive technology integration, in which teachers prepared materials, used digital presentations and visuals, and produced printed and hands-on materials; (3) adapting through challenges, in which limited devices, unreliable internet, power interruptions, and preparation time led teachers to use flexible strategies and backup materials; and (4) building an accessible and sustainable technology-supported learning environment, for which participants recommended adequate resources, practical training, and individualized instruction. Teachers reported that learners appeared more engaged and understood lessons more easily, but these are teachers’ perceptions and not measured learner outcomes. Assistive technology appeared mainly as a recommendation, whereas the practices described relied on general presentation and production tools. The findings suggest that technology integration in this setting depends less on equipment alone than on reliable infrastructure, continuing professional development, and materials adapted to learners’ needs. Future studies should combine classroom observation and learner assessment with teachers’ accounts.