This study was intended to survey the early childhood teachers who are in charge of handicapped children education in inclusive child care centers about their recognition on teacher's role and their actual performance, and their demands on refresher c...
This study was intended to survey the early childhood teachers who are in charge of handicapped children education in inclusive child care centers about their recognition on teacher's role and their actual performance, and their demands on refresher course needed for successful performance, and from it, to prepare materials helpful for enhancing early childhood teachers' speciality and successfully implementing integrated education.
In the child care centers which implement handicapped children inclusive education, located in 5 cities (Changwon, Masan, Jhinhae, Jhinju, and Tongyoung) in Kyongsangnam-do, 152 teachers were surveyed with questionnaire through mailing and personal visit interview. 121 copies of questionnaire were collected, and of them, 110 copies were analyzed. Data analysis included mean, standard deviation, t-test and F-test for difference in mean. The findings and conclusions are as below.
The teachers' recognition on teacher's role for handicapped children inclusive education marked 4.36, very high. In the sub areas of teacher roles, their recognition was the highest in the area of living guidance, and next came in descending order of emotional support, education and teaching, study and reflective support, parents matters, and administration and management. Role performance they evaluated with themselves was 3.59, which came in the descending order of living guidance, emotional support, administration and management, education and teaching, parents matters, study, and reflective support. Difference between teacher's role they recognized necessary for inclusive education and their actual performance was -0.77, that is, recognition was higher than actual performance. Living guidance marked the narrowest difference between teachers' recognition and performance, and administration and management came next. The widest difference between the two was marked in study and reflective support.
Recognition on teacher's role to be performed in inclusive education and the actual performance didn't significantly depend on age, organization of experience, academic background, and year of teachership, while did on whether or not having an experience of refresher course. In sub area such as living guidance, education and teaching, study and reflectional supports, difference between teachers' recognition on teacher' role in those sub areas and their performance was less in those who have such an experience than those who have not.
Recognition on the necessity of refresher course for performance as an inclusive teacher was very high. Necessary training they thought were mostly prevention of and measures against problematic behaviors, and next in the descending order of safety management and emergency treatment for handicapped children, counseling and education of handicapped child's parents, promotion of understanding between the handicapped and normal children, guidance of emotional and behavioral handicapped children. The lowest necessity they recognized was the instruction of how to use educational aids for handicapped children. Recognition on the necessity of refresher course didn't significantly depend on age, year of teachership, and whether or not having an experience of inclusive education related refresher course, while did on organization of experience, academic background, and whether or not taking a special education related subject. Recognition on the necessity of refresher course was higher in the teachers in private child care centers, university graduates or over, and teachers who have not taken a special education related subject.