The purpose of this study was to examine perceptional difference between special education teachers and general education teachers on the operation, qualification, role, education, disposition, utilization and management of the special education teach...
The purpose of this study was to examine perceptional difference between special education teachers and general education teachers on the operation, qualification, role, education, disposition, utilization and management of the special education teacher assistants who support teachers and help with disabilities students in classes. The subjects in this study were 85 schools selected from 127 schools which have the special education teacher assistant system in Chunlabookdo, Chunlanado and Guangjoo. The proper recognition and utilization of the special education teacher assistant system are required to accomplish the best educational benefit of this system.
The study results were as follows :
First, both subjective groups, special education teachers and general education teachers, were appreciating the operation of the special education teacher assistants. Furthermore, the former group showed higher satisfaction factor than the other group.
Second, perceptional differences about the qualification and role of the special education teacher assistants wagers not exist. In the study of the role and education of special education teacher assistant for general education, 2002, Kimsungae said that teacher assistants are distinguished from educational helpers by their wide activity area and their various task supports in classes. In contrast with her study, teacher assistants misused to provide disabled students helps of daily activities and relocation and they did not perform their specialties like administrational supports and teacher assistances for teachers in their normal school life. General management control is required to maintain the qualities and the roles of the teacher assistants.
Third, two study groups have different opinions about the educational requirement and disposition of the special education teacher assistants. The general education teachers have higher standard of a teacher assistant per a group of disable students than the special education teachers. However, the special education teachers require more internship hours for the teacher assistants. This is a same result with the previous study by Kim Chang Gul (2000) and by Kang Kyung Sook (2002).In the subject of individualized teacher assistance, the most requested assistant’s activity from the disabled students according to other study (Kang Kyung Sook, 2002; Lee You Hoon, Kim Kea Ok, Chung Dong Il, 2002), both groups of teachers were aware of the necessity of the teacher assistance system but they disvalued the educational help from the teacher assistants to their students.
Fourth, there was a minor difference in two study groups about the understanding of operation and management of the teacher assistant system. The general education teachers asked practical skills from teacher assistants at the point of teacher disable students and they also expected relatively high qualification standard from teacher assistant applicants so teacher assistant system is required the advanced internship program and various management plan.
Despite of the effort to have an accurate survey, there were practical three limitations.
First, there was a possibility that the returned questionnaire might have answers what the subjects want to be.
Second, the subjects were selected from local area of Chunlabookdo, Chunlanado and Guangjoo so the result of this study would not be generalized to as nation wide.
Based on the above-mentioned findings, there are some suggestions:
First, proper foundation of the special education teacher assistant system and various co ordinations are required to maximize the benefit of general education and extensive internship program and continuing education program are needed to be developed to achieve this goal.
Second, even a principle makes the final decision of hiring a teacher assistant, he should listen to special education teachers or general education teachers advices about applicants. In addition, fair review standards are needed to be developed to evaluate teacher assistants’ performances.
Third, administrational, physical, and financial supports and various studies to solve practical problems from educational field area are highly demanded for the great accomplishment of the special education teacher assistant system.