Teachers’ Experiences and Challenges in Developing Individual Educational Plans for Students with Special Educational Needs

Abstract

This study explores the development process of Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) for students with Special Educational Needs (SENs) in two mainstream schools in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, focusing on the experiences and challenges faced by teachers. The research aimed to examine teachers’ firsthand experiences and the challenging steps involved in developing and implementing plans for students with Special Educational Needs. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with demographic questions using purposeful sampling across teachers of different ages and levels of experience across various subjects. The findings indicate that teachers are using IEPs because they recognize their important role in tracking progress and developing and monitoring students’ intellectual, academic, and other achievements to meet their needs and integrate them into the general curriculum. However, during the development process, most teachers faced challenges such as insufficient teaching resources and inadequate institutional support. The study highlights the need to prepare teachers in practical ways of developing inclusive education tools through enhanced teacher training, increased access to specialized materials and stronger alignment with policy frameworks to promote effective inclusive education. Overall, the results suggest that IEPs play an important role in advancing the components of inclusive education in Kazakhstan, and that making teachers’ work easier through a more supportive system would further contribute to this goal.