圖書館

ABSTRACT

THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORES TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON MENTAL WELL-BEING SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEN). THIS STUDY ALSO UNCOVERS THE STRATEGIES TEACHERS USE, AS WELL AS THE OBSTACLES TEACHERS ENCOUNTERED WHEN SUPPORTING THE MENTAL WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS WITH SEN. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS WITH PRIMARY TEACHERS WORKING WITHIN INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS IN MACAO. RELEVANT DATA WAS COLLECTED FOR ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION. THE KEY FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. MOST OF THE PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES FACED BY STUDENTS WITH SEN. THEY IDENTIFIED EMOTIONAL REGULATION, ACADEMIC PRESSURE AND HEIGHTENED SELF-AWARENESS THAT OFTEN LEADS TO FRUSTRATION AS THE PRIMARY CHALLENGES FACED BY STUDENTS WITH SEN. 2. MOST OF THE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT BUILDING STRONG TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS, AND CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT MODIFICATION, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALISED STRATEGIES, ARE ESSENTIAL FOR EFFECTIVE SUPPORT. 3. PARTICIPANTS ALSO REPORTED THAT SYSTEMATIC BARRIERS SUCH AS INSUFFICIENT PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES AND LARGE CLASS SIZE, AS WELL AS CULTURAL STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH SIGNIFICANTLY HINDER THEIR ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH SEN. IN ADDITION, THIS STUDY ALSO PROPOSES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN MACAO. FURTHERMORE, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE ALSO PROVIDED.