Teachers constitute a vulnerable professional group in terms of the impact of work-related stress on depression. The present study examined flourishing and occupational depression in general education teachers (GETs) and special education teachers (SETs). A sample of 448 Italian teachers (69.6% of SETs), mostly women (85.5%), aged 26-67 (M =…

High-quality IEP goals developed based on a comprehensive assessment of child functioning are more likely to result in individualisation of services and improved learning outcomes for students with disabilities. This study investigated the impact of a training programme on the quality of individualised education programme (IEP) goals written by…

The instruments for the evaluation of teachers' digital competence are abundant, however, there is still a lack of instruments oriented to the context of Special Education. In this sense, this study presents the validation process of an instrument that aims to determine the level of knowledge and digital competence of Special Education teachers…

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of special education professionals in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden in light of educational policies and reforms. The study places emphasis on (a) the policy context of inclusion and special needs education, (b) the formal qualifications required of special education professionals, and (c)…

In this study, we aimed to determine the quality indicators in separate special education schools that only educate individuals with special needs from the perspectives of teachers. We collected data from 82 special education teachers included by maximum diversity sampling using a semi-structured interview form. We conducted a content analysis…

The article presents the findings of a study that examines the perception of the educational paradigm in the context of educating a child with a chronic illness in either a school or medical facility by special education teacher candidates. It was assumed that the beliefs of educators largely reflect the educational paradigm, which reveals the…

This survey study (N = 148) investigates the interrelationships between assessment conceptions, assessment self-efficacy, prior education, and teaching experience amongst Finnish pre-service special educational needs teachers (pre-service SENs). The results showed that assessment conceptions and assessment self-efficacy are intertwined. Assessment…

Teaching is a stressful profession, and rates of departure are high. We examined whether teachers' levels of psychological capital (PsyCap), a concept integrating four positive psychological resources (hope, self-efficacy, resilience, optimism), affects their job satisfaction and burnout. Israeli schools are now required to be inclusive;…

Special education teachers are among the professional figures in the educational sector who risk high levels of burnout. This study explores which variables among individual factors (i.e. socio-demographics, personal self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy) and contextual factors (i.e. collective self-efficacy and work organisation) can predict…

The present study was aimed at contributing to the understanding of the role of pre-service special education teachers' attachment styles and empathy dimensions in sentiments, attitudes, and concerns towards disability. Participants were 536 pre-service special education teachers (78.4% females and 21.6% males), Results of the path analysis showed…

Burnout is an increasing issue among special education teachers (SETs), impacting students, the education system, and society. This study aimed to identify burnout profiles of SETs and explore the relationship between these profiles and the levels of teacher agency and meaningful work. Latent profile analysis was used to define burnout profiles as…

Special education teachers' (SETs) views on their agency in teacher collaboration were analysed using Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). Finnish SETs (N = 238) answered open-ended survey questions concerning successful and unsuccessful collaboration with the classroom teachers in a tiered support framework. The findings revealed that the…

Although Nordic countries are committed to developing inclusive education, a gap often exists between policy, ideals, and the realisation of inclusion in practice. In Finnish schools, part-time special education is an important tool for promoting inclusive education in the three-tier system. In this study, our research questions were: (1) What…

The main aim of this study was to investigate how Finnish pre-service special needs teachers' (N = 134) assessment conceptions, prior academic studies in special education and teaching experience together cluster into different patterns representing different student types. Their assessment conceptions formed three main factors: 1) assessment…

This article presents an analysis of Swedish subject teachers and special educators' discourses on the teaching of students with different needs in order to study their enactment of inclusive education in relation to competing demands. Drawing on notions of policy enactment, policies are here not only understood as regulatory texts, but also as…