Examining the quality of IEPS in inclusive settings

This study aims to describe classroom teachers' views on both the process of developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and the quality of the IEPs they prepare for students with special needs attending primary school. Conducted within a qualitative descriptive design, the research involved 17 classroom teachers (8 men, 9 women) working in general education classrooms in a metropolitan province. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and analyzed using an inductive content analysis approach. NVivo 15 software was employed during the coding and theme generation phases. Findings revealed that teachers most frequently included four components in their IEPs, with long and short term goals being the most commonly repeated component. Although participants defined a high quality IEP as student centered, functional, and collaborative, they reported difficulties especially in setting functional goals and determining students' skill levels when it came to implementation. Nevertheless, the participants generally believed that the IEPs they prepared were of adequate quality. The findings offer recommendations for enhancing teacher competencies and for systematically assessing student characteristics in order to improve IEP quality.