The Dual Burden: Phenomenological Insights into Instructional-Emotional Challenges of Special Education Teachers in Self-Contained Classrooms

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the interplay between instructional and emotional challenges faced by special education teachers in self-contained classrooms and the impact on their professional efficacy. Seven special education teachers from the Schools Division of Laoag City participated through purposive sampling. Data were collected via open-ended interviews using Google Forms and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: pedagogical fragmentation, emotional labor as a prerequisite to instruction, cumulative emotional depletion, and the bidirectional relationship between instruction and emotion. Findings revealed that professional efficacy fluctuates situationally, shaped by behavioral crises and student regulation. Teachers employed strategic recalibration—including structured routines, collaborative debriefing, and small-success orientation—to mediate efficacy. A persistent paradox emerged: systemic workloads drive attrition, yet relational micro-wins sustain professional commitment. The study concludes that emotional labor must be formally recognized as integral to special education teaching. Reducing administrative burdens and strengthening collaborative support systems are essential to disrupt cycles of depletion and improve teacher retention.