Teachers’ Experiences and Perceptions of Student-Centered Integrated Support: Focusing on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and Teacher Professional Competence

Purpose: This study aimed to explore teachers’ experiences and perceptions of student-centered integrated support from the perspectives of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and teacher professionalism. Method: Six teachers working in elementary and secondary schools in the metropolitan area who had experience supporting students requiring academic and emotional and behavioral support participated in the study. Data were collected through written open-ended questionnaires and in-depth interviews and were systematically analyzed using qualitative research procedures. Results: Three overarching themes, ten subthemes, and twenty-one meaning units were identified. First, teachers perceived a need for integrated support that considers individual students’ circumstances and contexts when supporting students with co-occurring academic underachievement and emotional–behavioral difficulties. Second, although teachers generally agreed with the intent of student-tailored integrated support, they expressed concerns about practical constraints and confusion related to role delineation among those responsible for implementation, difficulties in parental cooperation, and administrative procedures. Third, teachers conceptualized professionalism within an MTSS framework as the capacity to develop an integrated understanding of academic, behavioral, and emotional domains and to coordinate support strategies. Professional development was viewed as more effective when supported by practice-oriented in-service training and robust administrative and institutional support systems. Conclusion: As the implementation of the Student-Centered Integrated Support Act approaches, this study suggests that realizing the legislative intent in school practice requires systematically incorporating teachers’ experiences and perspectives into policy design and concrete implementation planning.