본 연구는 특수학교 학부모들의 학교교육 참여문화를 분석해 특색 있는 학교 참여 문화를 발견하고, 제시해 보려는데 목적을 두었다. 연구대상은 특수학교에 재학 중인 장애학생을 둔 학부모 10명을 심층면담을 통해서 살펴보았고, 학교교육 활동에 참여하는 학부모를 참여관찰을 통한 질적연구 방법으로 살펴보았다.
연구결과는 첫째, 교육적인 관점에서 학교교육 참여를 통해 사회적응력과 일상생활을 위한 기본생활 능력 향상을 가장 중요하게 생각하였고, 장애영역의 차이보다는 장애정도가 더 중증일수록 열성적인 참여가 이루어졌고, 둘째, 학교 참여에 따른 학부모의 핵심 역할은 학교행사 및 교육활동의 참여라고 나타났다. 셋째, 학부모들의 참여방식과 유형에 있어서 특수학교 학부모만의 ‘소통’의 문화를 추구하고 있었다. 넷째, 학부모의 학교 참여 범위를 설정하는 주된 요인은 ‘교육적 피드백’의 차이였고 다섯째, 참여증가로 인해 구성원들과의 협력과 갈등이 공존하게 되고, 이런 배경의 근본 원인은 내 아이 우선의 ‘무한 자식사랑’이 요인으로 나타났다. 이런 이유로 자녀가 받는 작은 불이익에도 불만이 표출됨과 동시에 두려움도 가지면서 표현, 표출의 욕구가 약한 자녀를 대신해 열성적이고 강한 자녀의 대변인 역할을 특수학교 학부모들은 하고 있었다.
The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of the culture of parents participating in schooling of special school. For this purpose, this study dealt with 5 key areas relating to culture of parents: 1) the educational view of parents(or the educational goal), 2) roles and limits of parents in their participation in schooling, 3) ways and types, 4) range, and 5) cooperation and conflict in their participation in schooling.
Data were collected through participant observation and depth interview with parents of the middle class students attended A special school.
Based on data collected in this study, the characteristics of parents' culture in schooling were defined as follows. First, parents tended to emphasize their offspring's self-help ability for daily life as a ultimate educational value and goal because he or she had severe disability. They hoped that their offspring have basic self-help abilities for daily life when they can't take care of him any longer. Therefore, because they thought of such educational goal as Maginot Line, they taken an active part in schooling and thought of it as a mean to affect schooling policies and to derive it's positive change.
Second, parents thought of participating in school events and activities as their roles in schooling, but they also wanted to see their offspring's school life as it is. Factors facilitating parents' participation in schooling were as follows: a wish to see their offspring's adaptive change and get a feeling of relief, the apprehension that their offspring may not adjust due to his disability, and disadvantages to be when they don't participate in schooling and advantages when they do. These factors indicate parents' earnest wish for their offspring's adjustment and strong demand for school authorities' concerns with their offspring. Factors hindering from parents' participation in schooling were a long distance to school from home and a lack of time.
Third, parents primarily had participated in schooling through bonding among parents. Actually they have a meeting more than once a month along class, grade, or the degree of disability. At the meeting, they have shared a lot of information relating to the day-to-day happenings in school and their own difficulties or experiences. Such bonding among parents have played a critical role in communicating with teachers and school authority. Parents have created tight culture based on trust for each other.
Fourth, parents thought that they need to had the authority to evaluate and appoint part-time instructors taken on after school and weekend programs, which is ran by parents' bill. Also parents thought that they need to had the right to receive feedback about their demands from school authority. Of course, parents thought that they shouldn't invade teacher's specialty. These demands basically seem to imply the need for feedback about practice of teaching made in school.
Finally, as parents' participation in schooling had increased in both quantitative and qualitative aspect, there ware cooperation and conflict between parents and school. Parents actively participated in school events and activities, but rapped out a complaint directly with school, especially when they thought that their offspring have a disadvantage from school. Behind such rapping out it, there was parents' complicated mind, such as feeling of guilt and responsibility for their offspring with disability and anxiety that this disadvantage will recur, if not rap out it.