EXPLORING SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS’ COMPETENCIES IN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Dilara Çaylak, Buket Ündemir

Abstract


For individuals with special needs to effectively benefit from social studies education, their inclusion in individualized education programs (IEPs) is of great importance. Considering the physical, mental, and emotional differences of these individuals, social studies teachers need to possess the competence to prepare IEPs. To acquire these competencies, special education courses are provided in teacher training programs and supported by in-service training. The aim of this research is to examine social studies teachers' perceptions of their competence in preparing IEPs. A descriptive survey design, a quantitative method, was used in the research. The study group consisted of 121 social studies teachers working in state and private schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Niğde province during the 2024-2025 academic year. The "IEP Teacher Competence Scale" and a personal information form prepared by the researcher were used as data collection tools. According to the research results, it was determined that social studies teachers' perceptions of their competence in preparing IEPs were at a high level. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference was found between teachers with 11-15 years of professional experience and those with 20 years or more of experience.

Keywords


individualized education program, competency, social studies teacher

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i8.6832

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