Early-Adopting Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions and Enactment of Digital-Based Education: Implications for Professional Development

Abstract

This study explores special education teachers’ perceptions and enactment regarding digital-based education for students with disabilities. Through semi-structured in-depth interviews with six special education teachers who had used digital technology in their instruction for more than two years, qualitative data were analyzed using a comprehensive analytic procedure based on pragmatic eclecticism. The results are as follows: First, teachers perceived digital-based education as a natural evolution of digital technology and an essential educational practice for the digital-native generation. Second, digital-based education effectively enhanced the functional capabilities of students with disabilities, provided individualized learning support through courseware and robotics, and enhanced the realism and diversity of instructional materials. Third, digital-based instruction fostered student-centered learning, bolstered teacher efficacy, and fostered positive perceptions of digital-based education across school communities. Finally, the results underscore the need for a digital-integrated curriculum and reinforced institutional foundations to support teachers’ professional development. These findings offer significant implications for advancing professional development and revitalizing digital-based practices in special education.