Issues And Challenges Faced By Malaysian Montessori School Teachers In Teaching Special Educational Needs Children

Abstract

Montessori schools is an educational approach that focuses on child-centered or child-initiated learning in which the child actively directs their own learning experiences. In recent years, the number of Montessori schools in Malaysia has increased steadily, reflecting the nation's growing interest in this alternative education system. This learning approach allows Special Educational Needs (SEN) children to go through the process of cognitive and physical development (Lodewijk et al., 2023). This study was conducted to view the challenges faced by teachers who teach SEN children in several Montessori schools in Malaysia. The research niche is identified by the need to have strategies and the roles of stakeholders to support teachers in the teaching and learning process of SEN children in Montessori settings. This study was conducted by interviewing eleven teachers from five different schools in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. All the interviewed teachers are with at least one year of experience instructing SEN students in Montessori environments. The study's findings indicate that teachers deal with seven major obstacles, which are the requirement for individualised instruction, problems with behaviour management, a lack of parental involvement, inadequacy of workshops and training, issues in monitoring progress, teachers' emotional health and resource constraints. Every challenge poses also centres on beneficial strategies with the role of stakeholders serving as a further support. In conclusion, it is anticipated that this research study will assist Malaysian Montessori schools in holding discussions with teachers to enhance their institutions. Furthermore, it is anticipated that this study will offer subsequent researchers a current comprehension of the level of knowledge in a certain field and acts as a basis for further research to be conducted.