Career path support for special needs students with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties in middle school in Japan: a qualitative study

Social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties encompass a wide range of challenges in children’s social and school life, including difficulties in peer interaction, psychological and mental health problems, feelings of isolation, and disruptive behaviours. Adolescents with these difficulties often experience poorer social relationships, functional impairments, and poor educational outcomes. Transitions in schooling are key milestones; the transition from middle to high school (typically around age 15 in Japan) involves adapting to broader classroom expectations, greater social demands, and a new environment. Even neurotypical students can experience increased anxiety and poorer social relationships during this transition. Despite substantial work on primary-to-secondary transitions, middle-to-high-school transitions remain under-documented. Inclusive education has been promoted internationally, but support varies by local systems. In Japan, education includes 6 years elementary, 3 years middle (ending compulsory education), and 3 years high school; entry to high school typically requires an entrance examination and certain academic performance, which influences future employment. Many parents still hope for enrollment in higher-ranked schools. Most middle school graduates with special needs proceed to upper secondary education, with many entering special needs high schools and a notable proportion entering regular high schools. Thus, students with special needs must choose between regular and special needs high schools, with implications for future paths and school life. The transition also coincides with graduation from compulsory education, making it distinct from earlier transitions. Teachers in special needs education are therefore required to support decision-making at this juncture. Career guidance for students with special needs requires understanding of special needs and developmental disabilities, including personality traits, developmental characteristics, and parental understanding. Students with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties may lack knowledge about transitions, struggle with decision-making, or have biased self-perceptions. They may face interpersonal and emotional stability challenges in high school. Teachers must provide accurate information to parents and support student decision-making, but face multiple challenges. Understanding these challenges is essential to improve practice and develop support resources for teachers, parents, and students. Predictive factors for post-school outcomes (e.g., completion, employment, independent living) have been identified, and educators' frameworks and perceptions affect practice. However, studies on middle-to-high-school transitions and from non-Western contexts are scarce. This study focuses on Japanese middle school special needs class teachers, aiming to identify the difficulties they experience in supporting career-related decision-making for students with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties, and to examine how they address these difficulties.

Design: Cross-sectional qualitative study using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Participants: 18 teachers from special needs classes in Japanese middle schools (primarily Oita City and surrounding rural areas). Inclusion criteria: (1) teaching middle school students; (2) prior experience providing career guidance to students with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties. Sampling: Snowball and purposeful sampling (to include rural settings). Participants’ ages ranged 24–62 years; most in their 50s (n=12, 67%). Experience in special needs education in middle schools: 1–19 years (mean 9.8 years). Eleven (61%) held special needs education licenses; two had experience in special needs schools. Half (9/18) had ≥10 years of special needs education experience. Setting/Context: Oita City (population ~480,000; 33 regular middle schools; 5 special needs schools, two for visual/hearing impairment) and nearby cities. Procedures: Interviews conducted August–December 2016 and October–December 2019. An interview guide, developed by the authors in consultation with educators, explored experiences and difficulties providing career guidance to students with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties (e.g., processes and experiences supporting decision-making). Interviews were conducted in Japanese by the second author and a trained assistant, audio-recorded with consent, and lasted 34–98 minutes (mean 63 minutes). Participants were encouraged to speak freely beyond the guide. Researcher stance: The first author is a clinical psychologist with experience in psychological and educational support for youth with disabilities; the second author was in a special needs teacher training program. Ethics: Approved by Oita University Faculty of Education Research Ethics Committee (H28-008). Conducted per the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent obtained. Data analysis: Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke. Authors repeatedly read transcripts to familiarize themselves with the data. Inductive coding was applied without a priori codes. Two authors independently coded transcripts, discussed to consensus, and iteratively reviewed codes and original text to confirm context and refine themes. After analysis in Japanese, excerpts were professionally translated to English and checked by the first author.

Three overarching themes captured teachers’ experiences supporting career decisions for middle school students with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties: 1) Difficulties in determining students’ future trajectories - Uncertainty about the “right” path: Teachers struggled to predict outcomes and whether guidance was appropriate until after transitions occurred (e.g., regret when a student later dropped out of regular high school and might have fared better in a special needs school). - Limited options and decision-making challenges: Academic performance, attendance, and interpersonal difficulties constrained options; few schools would accept students while providing adequate support. Some students desired regular high schools but faced high risk of non-attendance or social difficulties. - Concerns about future support: Transitioning to high school coincides with the end of compulsory education; supports received in middle school may diminish in high school, raising concerns about students’ ability to cope. 2) Difficulties in collaborating with stakeholders - Parental hopes: Many parents desire at least a regular high school diploma for perceived employment advantages, but teachers sometimes judged this unrealistic or risky for certain students, creating tension. - Parental anxiety: Caregivers struggled with decision-making; teachers emphasized early information provision and exploring multiple options to reduce anxiety. - Conflicts with students’ wishes and self-perceptions: Students sometimes insisted on following peers to regular schools; low self-esteem could lead to perceiving alternative recommendations as rejection. - Stigma: Family and societal stigma toward disabilities and special needs education hindered acceptance of support or enrollment in special needs high school programs; lack of understanding among some family members could block appropriate placements. 3) What teachers consider important - Early, proactive career guidance: Setting goals early with students and guardians facilitates planning and shared understanding. - Visiting prospective schools and workplaces: Direct exposure to various high schools (regular and special needs) and workplaces helps inform realistic decisions, though visits to special needs schools can provoke negative reactions in students who do not identify with peers there. - Focus on long-term futures: Teachers aim to consider students’ well-being beyond graduation while supporting self-determined choices. Overall, findings indicate that stigma and systemic constraints interfere with career path decisions for these students, and that early planning, collaboration, and accurate information sharing are viewed as essential by teachers.

Teachers face inherent uncertainty in predicting functional outcomes for adolescents with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties, yet they feel obligated to guide families. Adjustment problems in peer relations and learning can complicate guidance, especially when teacher recommendations diverge from student or parent preferences. Positive teacher-student relationships and support during transitions are critical. Early planning and information-sharing may foster collaboration and shared goals, though their definitive effectiveness remains to be established. Stigma toward disability and special needs education persists and influences decisions. While labeling can perpetuate negative expectations, it may also aid self-understanding and belonging. Reducing stigma may involve role models, education, and broader social campaigns; perceptions vary by generation and region and may shift with educational and societal changes. In Japan, special education teachers in regular schools may perceive inclusive education as less feasible than segregated models, suggesting a need for system-level inquiry and reform. Collaborating with stakeholders is generally beneficial, but value discrepancies among teachers, parents, and students pose challenges. Parents’ hopes and anxieties necessitate clear, appropriate information and support. Student participation in transition planning is crucial, yet cognitive and emotional factors can limit judgment, requiring time and sensitive consultation. Contextual understanding of individual emotional and behavioural difficulties is essential. Longitudinal evidence on outcomes could help teachers set appropriate goals and reduce uncertainty, while still centering student values and aspirations.

This qualitative study with 18 Japanese middle school special needs teachers identified key challenges in supporting career decisions for students with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties: uncertainty in determining appropriate trajectories, difficulties collaborating with parents and students amid hopes, anxieties, and stigma, and the perceived importance of early, experience-based guidance focused on students’ long-term well-being. The study underscores the need for early transition planning, comprehensive information sharing (including visits to schools and workplaces), and efforts to reduce stigma around disability and special needs education to strengthen collaboration and support informed, student-centered choices. Future research should include parents’ and students’ perspectives and provide longitudinal evidence on outcomes to guide goal setting and educational policy, as well as investigate system-level changes to advance inclusive education and public understanding.

The study reflects only teachers’ perspectives; it does not include views of key stakeholders such as parents and students, limiting the comprehensiveness of insights into conflicts and challenges in career guidance. Future studies should incorporate these perspectives to provide a broader picture.