Teaching Special Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Analysis

The arrival of the global pandemic transformed the system of teaching and learning instantaneously for school staffs, students and their families.  It has become more apparent that the change in venue has brought about conditions that directly impact the quality of the teaching and the degree to which students learn.  Special educators in particular, given the heterogenous nature of those that they teach and their unique learning needs, are faced with challenges that are arguably beyond most other educators.  The current study utilized a mixed-methods approach in an effort to investigate and delve into the perspectives special education teachers hold related to: (a) The support and training they received; (b) Feelings of self-efficacy; and (c) general impressions about the students and families they interact with.  General results and analysis were indicative of several findings.  Specifically, that special education teacher participant felt supported by their faculty and administrative staffs, the teachers did a significant amount of independent learning, that their respective pre-service, formal training was lacking in preparing for virtual learning, and all participants reported significant additional stress challenges, including working with technology.  Limitations and future research possibilities are discussed.