Secondary schools' interest in inclusion has been gradually increasing. It is important to build up administrative, financial and social environments in linking achievements of elementary school inclusion into secondary school inclusion successfully. ...
Secondary schools' interest in inclusion has been gradually increasing. It is important to build up administrative, financial and social environments in linking achievements of elementary school inclusion into secondary school inclusion successfully. But, most of all, teachers' and peers' understanding and concerns for the student with disabilities must be preceded. Especially perception and attitude of the teachers and peers are significant factors in practicing social skills - that is the goal in secondary school inclusion. Perception level of teachers and peers on social skills of students with disability is helpful information in supporting school adaptation of student with disability. Since the perception level provides information that reveals expectation level of other members in inclusion environment on social skills of students with mental retardation. However, we don't have information about teachers' and peers' perception on social skills of the students with mental retardation in inclusion environment.
The purpose of this study was investigating social skills' importance level in sub-areas of SSRS(Social Skills Rating System) and inquiring priority of importance that teachers and peers percept for adaptation to secondary school. As well as finding out perceptional difference between teachers and peers through comparison of importance level of sub-areas, and perceptional difference from individual' background variables.
This research carried out a questionnaire survey and inquired 144 teachers and 426 peers in inclusion classes of middle schools in Seoul about level of importance of social skills. The collected data were analyzed for means and standard deviations per sub-areas as well as for priorities among them. t-test was done to verify the difference between two group's perception level and the difference of results according to different factors in teachers' and peers' environments variance. The findings were as follows.
The findings were as following;
First, peers perceived 30skills were important, teachers did 27skills. Both group agree these skills(responding appropriately to physical aggression from peers, complyng with the teacher's directions, asking help in need) are very important among 31skills and these skills(appropriately telling the teacher when the student thinks the teacher has treated him or her unfairly, producing correct schoolwork, attending school activity, finishing class assignments within specified time limits) are not important one. Teachers rated the 3sub-categories this order: self-control, assertion, cooperation, and peers rated self-control, cooperation, assertion. In cooperation area, two groups had significant difference in perception of importance of social skills.
Second, in assertion and cooperation area, teachers' perception of importance of social skills had significant difference according to the problem behaviors existence of students with mental retardation.
Third, peers' perception of importance of social skills had not significant difference according to the problem behaviors existence of students with mental retardation
Forth, teachers' perception of importance of social skills had not significant difference according to the past instruction experience existence in inclusion class.
Fifth, student' perception of importance of social skills had not significant difference according to students' background variables (experience existence on disability-Awareness program, the past experience existence on inclusion class).
These results showed that teachers and peers are different in perception on importance of each social skills but social skills perceived high and low in importance are almost similar between teachers and peers. Self-control skills were perceived the most important by teachers as well as peers. This suggest middle school inclusion prioritizes self-control skills in categorizing social skills needed for students with mental retardation.
Peers' perception level on importance of the social skills needed for students with mental retardation was revealed higher than teachers' in the whole. Especially in cooperation area, perception level on importance showed statistically significant difference between peers and teachers. This suggest perceptional differences exist in rating student's social skill between the members of inclusion class. Therefore, teachers need to consider features of the members in intermediating social skills for student with mental retardation. Teacher's evaluation had significant difference according to the students' problem behavior. By the way, the low evaluation about the students may limit their participation opportunity in their class. So, Prevent them from the limitation, Individual support is required for the students with mental retardation.