THE IMPACT OF TEACHERS' KNOWLEDGE AND READINESS TO DEVELOP INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLANS ON THE MOTIVATION OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Arita AGAI, Zana KADRII-VLADI, Elona SHKODRA

Abstract

This article presents a focused analysis of the empirical part of a quantitative study on factors related to the motivation of students with special educational needs in grades 1–9. The aim was to assess whether teachers with higher knowledge and greater willingness to develop Individual Education Plans (IEPs) report higher levels of motivation among students with special educational needs. The study was conducted in schools in the municipality of Ferizaj and included 115 participants from different professional profiles in the school. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire with demographic and content sections. This article analyzed indicators related to knowledge about IEP, willingness to design it, and teachers' perception of student motivation. To test for differences between groups, the t-test for independent samples was used, while the effect size was calculated with the Cohen’s d coefficient. The results showed a statistically significant difference in knowledge about IEP between teachers who were willing to develop a plan and those who were not willing, t (113) = 11.38, p < .001, d = 2.30. Also, a statistically significant difference was found in teacher-reported student motivation, t (113) = 3.14, p = .002, d = 0.63. The findings support the importance of teacher professional capacities and an individualized approach to inclusive practice. The article concludes that strengthening teachers’ competencies for IEP should be treated as an institutional priority for advancing the quality of inclusive education and supporting the motivation of students with special educational needs.

Pages: 32 - 39