This study has been done to analyze the level of conflict between special education teachers and paraprofessionals (assistants) in local schools about the role of the paraprofessionals. In this study, the level of conflict has been researched by gende...
This study has been done to analyze the level of conflict between special education teachers and paraprofessionals (assistants) in local schools about the role of the paraprofessionals. In this study, the level of conflict has been researched by genders, home classes, special education careers, school sizes, and training experiences in terms of personal relationships, work relations, and physical environments.
The purpose of this study is to find out the level of conflict that special education teachers or paraprofessionals have in a school organization and to provide a basic information in order for them to perform well in school. For this respect, the survey has been conducted targeting special education teachers or inclusive class teachers or special education paraprofessionals in schools of Jeju, Daegu, Andong, Gyeongju.
The conclusion that has been drawn based upon the research is as follows. First, the level of conflict from work relations is low.
Somehow, because the work boundary is not clear there is some conflict between the teachers and paraprofessionals.
In addition, there was a difference in the level of conflict caused from work relations by work experiences and school sizes.
Second, the level of conflict from the personal relationships of the teachers is low.
However, there is conflict between special education school and teachers who are relatively young and less experienced in teaching because of personal relationship.
The conflict caused by personal relationship of the paraprofessionals is because they could not get adjusted with the children with disabilities.
And the level of this conflict is higher than the one with teachers or colleagues. Mostly teachers and paraprofessionals get along well in their areas.
Third, the level of conflict of the teachers caused by the structural environment is somewhat high.
This shows the need for paraprofessionals' understanding of disabilities, training and eduction for better aptitude of the paraprofessionals, legalistic ground for paraprofessionals' qualification and the place to be assigned, and the seminar or training courses that help the mutual understanding between the teachers and the paraprofessionals.
This is not a personal issue but a systematic problem that needs to be desired. The absence of work experience and young age causes more conflict in terms of structural environment. The conflict of the paraprofessionals caused by structural environment is because of lack of training for better aptitude. The conflict of the paraprofessionals is lower than that of the teachers in terms of the structural environment.
When it comes to the conflict caused by the structural environment, the level of conflict of women paraprofessionals is higher than that of men paraprofessionals
This study covered only the level of conflict between teachers and paraprofessionals about their roles to each other. However, in order for schools to get the maximum result in the students, further study should be conducted to solve the conflict.