Migration of Special Education Teachers: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The trend of special education in the Philippines is the migration of special education (SpEd) teachers to find better living in the United States. Currently, there is a shortage of special education teachers in the U.S. Personnel shortages are the result of recruitment and retention challenges which includes poor working conditions (excessive paperwork, unmanageable caseloads, inadequate support, professional isolation) leading to professional leaving special education, insufficient funding, fewer qualified faculty and increasing education costs, and limited supply of qualified personnel. The increasing number of Filipino special education teacher is startling. Using qualitative phenomenological approach, the researcher extracted the lived experiences of SpEd teachers to explore their migration narratives.