Experiences of preschool teachers working in special education preschools

The aim of this research is to determine the experiences of preschool teachers working in special education preschools. The data of this qualitative study were obtained through semi-structured interviews with preschool teachers working in seven different special education preschools in four different provinces. Interviews were conducted with 14 preschool teachers working in special education preschools determined by the criterion sampling method. The collected data were analyzed using an eight-stage approach based on phenomenological reduction, imaginative triangulation, and core main categories. As a result of the research findings, it was seen that preschool teachers had the most difficulty in coping with problem behaviors and adapting activities to children. The research also showed that teachers defined certain roles for themselves and their partners, needed continuous development in the field of special education, and resorted to various methods in this direction. The common thought of the teachers was that they needed partners who were graduates of special education when working in special education preschools. Another finding of the research was that teachers had great difficulty in establishing cooperation with families of children with special needs due to the families not yet accepting the special needs. Other results of the research; It shows that there is a need to raise awareness of families of children with special needs, to employ field-graduated special education teachers in special education preschools, to make arrangements in the physical structure of the school, to eliminate material deficiencies and diversify existing materials, and to place children in classes in a way that their levels are close to each other. The research results show that a systematic working order has not yet been established in special education preschools and that some arrangements need to be made.