The purpose of this study was to analyze the actual state of operating research schools to examine problems with designation, operation, and generalization of research schools, present schemes for efficient operation in terms of the problems, and pres...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the actual state of operating research schools to examine problems with designation, operation, and generalization of research schools, present schemes for efficient operation in terms of the problems, and present a direction for research schools along with stabilization of school-based educational researches. For this purpose, specific questions were set as follows:
First, how do teachers perceive the need to designate and operate research schools?
Second, how do teachers perceive the process of operating research schools?
Third, how do teachers perceive a research report meeting for operation of research schools?
Fourth, how do teachers perceive discussions based on task division for operation of research schools?
Fifth, how do teachers perceive the possibility of generalizing the results of research on operation of research schools?
Sixth, how do teachers perceive schemes for activating operation of research schools?
Both literature review and a research were conducted, and questionnaires containing 27 questions in four areas about the need to designate and operate research schools, the actual state of operating research schools, problems with operation of research schools, and schemes for activating operation of research schools were distributed to a total of 233 elementary school teachers who observed research schools within the jurisdiction of Gangwon Provincial Office of Education; of them, 171 copies which could be processed were analyzed by background variables―gender, teaching career, title, career at research schools, time for working at research schools, school size, and working area―by carrying out frequency, percentage, F-test, P-test, and x²-test.
Statistical processing was carried out by using SPSS/WIN, and percentage and the significance level were interpreted at the P<.05 level. The basic research by background variables went through frequency analysis, and the survey on the general perception of research schools went through frequency analysis and ANOVA. The survey on problems with operation of research schools and activation schemes went through frequency analysis, ANOVA, and cross-tabulation analysis following estimation of basic statistics.
The results of this study can be summarized as follows:
First, the majority of teachers perceived the need to operate research schools because they could contribute to improvement in teaching-learning methods and expertise of teachers. Some thought of it unnecessary to operate research schools because educational performance was formally presented. They thought of it necessary to make a plan for inviting an expert group in supporting follow-up working expenses and evaluating research schools.
Second, they suggested that subjects for research schools should be designated through negotiation among all the teaching staff. They also suggested that the number of research schools should be reduced and indicated that the results of research helped improve the quality of education.
Third, a research report meeting indicated more negative aspects than positive ones. That is, it is necessary to devise an improved scheme for various types of operation, for example, by deciding on the type of report by contents of a research. And it is necessary to present contents implemented in practice including trial and error, rather than imposing stress on formal operation based on events and demonstration effects. It is also necessary to accept opinions of an expert group who can make general evaluation of a research from a more objective and neutral perspective.
Fourth, they indicated that the chairperson and debaters were selected in advance in the process of discussion based on task division for a research school report meeting they observed. But some schools had no discussion, which had to be held. It is therefore necessary to practically research and operate discussion based on task division for research schools. Many people suggested that discussion based on task division could become more active than now by using the hours of the discussion to collect opinions from teachers concerned for research report meetings; it is necessary to make previous explanation of how they coped with many problems with which they were confronted in research schools and determine what a wiser selection might be for them.
Fifth, as for generalization of the results, they are applied to other schools in similar situations, and administrative support for research schools affect the generalization. Problems were found in discontinuity of educational activities in research schools.
The results show that even the input of much budget and manpower into operation of research schools fails to make qualitative improvement in education but is just used for environmental maintenance, events, performance, the foothold for promotion, demonstration effects, and researches which are not generalized, thus getting both positive and negative views. In addition, excessive tasks make it impossible to operate curricula in a normal way.
To generalize the results of research as a scheme for activating research schools, therefore, educational experts' positive instruction is necessary to present practical performance, even including trial and error, rather than giving weight to formal operation based on events and demonstration effects. It is also necessary to support follow-up project expenses for research schools and make strategic consideration of research and devise a scheme for generalizing the results of research more positively since they die out on completion of a report meeting and are scarcely applied to educational practice.