Challenges faced by special education teachers in implementing basic culinary vocational instruction in secondary schools

Abstract

Basic vocational instruction in food preparation is an important component of special education, as it plays a significant role in enhancing the practical skills and employability of students with special needs. The research seeks to discover what difficulties special education teachers experience when they teach basic vocational food preparation courses and to analyze how these difficulties affect their teaching performance. The study used a quantitative methodology which surveyed 108 special education teachers who worked at vocational secondary schools located in Melaka state. The sample was selected from a population of 150 teachers using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table. The research team collected data by distributing a questionnaire which they analyzed using SPSS version 29. The research demonstrates that teachers encounter multiple obstacles which include curriculum and instructional module limitations and insufficient teaching resources and excessive workload requirements and time management challenges. The basic vocational food preparation course provides students with benefits which include development of their practical abilities and self-assurance and social competencies and motivation to learn. The study identifies continuous professional development for teachers as a vital requirement which needs to be fulfilled through providing suitable teaching materials and teaching resources and through obtaining administrative assistance and through obtaining parental and community participation to achieve instructional success. The research study offers both practical solutions and strategic plans which enable special education programs to enhance their vocational training and support students' complete development.