연구학교와 희망학교 소속 특수교사간 자유학기제 운영에 대한 인식 비교

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the perception about the Operations of a Free Semester System between Special Education Teachers in the Research Schools and the Hope Schools. Participants in the study are 91 public special education teachers in Busan, Gyeongsangnam-do, Gwangju, Jeollanam-do, who tried the free semester system in 2016 and 2017. In this study conducted a questionnaire consisting of satisfaction with the operation of the free semester system, awareness of their professional growth and works. The results of the study are as follows. First, the satisfaction of free semester system of special school teachers was generally high. Over the duration of the free semester system, in particular, it was shown that special education teachers’ overall satisfaction level of school life, participation of students, and relationship of school members were relatively higher than the rest of the semesters. Furthermore, such degrees of satisfaction about the free semester system showed significant differences according to various types of schools; such differences were also shown in terms of communication between teachers and parents, works in the semester, cooperation with colleague teachers, discovery of skills and aptitude of students, and general satisfaction on the system. Second, teachers in special schools were highly aware of a need to develope their professional skills related to free semester system, and to especially increase their expertise in operating some free-season activities programs. When it comes to works in the program, they considered the works to be increased; the task burden of the teachers appeared higher in the order of classroom work, student activities, administrative tasks, assessment, and student life coaching works. There was subtle differences in awareness of the need for professional growth, depending on the type of variation in the school, but the awareness of the need to increase the professionalism of the curriculum reconstruction area showed significant differences. The workload showed significant differences depending on the type of school variation, especially in administrative areas. Third, the most important factors to promote teacher's expertise were the need to secure teacher's autonomy and discretion, and the most necessary ways to reduce the work burden were to expand the career experience infrastructure. In addition, the variation of school types did not demonstrate significant difference in recognition of the factors promoting professional growth. Instead, in terms of work mitigation measures, the need of reducing the number of classes for the teachers in charge of free semester system was shown a significant share in the survey. Fourth, the higher level of general satisfaction with free semester system resulted in the higher awareness of the need for professional improvement, and the higher degree of satisfaction with school management was led to the lower recognition of the work burden. If the degree of satisfaction with school curricula and teaching activities was higher, the higher degree of the work burden of the teachers was found. Specifically, satisfaction regarding school management was lower in recognition of class-related works, assessment, and administrative works. The lower degree of overall satisfaction level was followed by the lower administrative work burden. On the other hand, if the satisfaction level of education courses and classroom teaching was higher, the awareness of the burden of work related to classes was also higher. In conclusion, based on special education teachers’ satisfaction, awareness of their professional growth and works in free semester system, the system should provide and establish some programs to develop students’ future career and talents, to ease the burden of the works, and finally to support the special education teachers’ needs for greater professionalism.