Exploring the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Special Education: A Case Study of Teachers’ Experiences in Pagadian City

Abstract

Special education (SPED) classrooms in developing countries face a critical gap between national digital transformation policies and ground-level implementation realities. This study investigated how SPED teachers at Tomas Sagun Integrated School in Pagadian City, Philippines, incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into instruction for students with special needs. Using a qualitative case study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight purposively selected SPED teachers, analyzed thematically through the TPACK Framework, Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers. Four key themes emerged: AI use remains minimal but gradually emerging; AI is employed mainly for administrative tasks and lesson preparation rather than direct classroom instruction; persistent barriers include poor infrastructure, absence of formal AI training, lack of institutional policy, and disability-specific constraints; and teachers firmly believe that compassionate, relationship-driven pedagogy cannot be replaced by AI. The study concludes that limited AI adoption is driven primarily by structural and systemic challenges rather than teacher resistance, and offers evidence-based recommendations for policy, professional development, and classroom practice in AI-supported special education.