Competencies perceived to be important by primary school teachers to work effectively with students with disabilities in regular classrooms in the western region of Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Master of Education

This study attempted to identify the competencies perceived to be important by primary school teachers in order to work effectively with students with disabilities in the western region of Seoul, Korea. The study also investigated the teachers' personal and demographic variables and their relationship with the perceived importance of competency categories.

A two-part questionnaire was used to collect the data. It consisted of items relating to selected background characteristics of the respondents, and a modified version of the Essential Teacher Competencies Questionnaire (Gear & Gable, 1979). Four hundred and sixteen teachers in the western region of Seoul, Korea responded to the questionnaire. T-tests and analysis of variance were employed to determine the significance of differences between means of ratings on the variables.

Several major findings emerged from the study. The teachers indicated classroom climate of acceptance as their most important competency category. "A warm, supportive classroom climate" was ranked as the highest item by the teachers for working with students with disabilities. The competency category of "goal setting" was given the lowest priority rating, and its sub-item, "involving the class in establishing group learning and behaviour goals", was ranked the lowest competency of all fifty items included in ICKT. Significant differences were found related to the gender, educational background, types of teaching qualifications, and training in special education of teachers. No significant differences were identified for teachers' age and length of teaching experience. Recommendations for future teacher education programs are included.

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