초록
이 연구의 목적은 초등학교 교사들의 영재교육에 대한 현황과 인식을 알아보기 위한 것으로, 이를 위해 영재교육에 대한 일반적 인식, 영재의 특성, 영재의 판별, 영재교육 프로그램, 그리고 영재 담당교사에 대한 인식을 설문을 통하여 분석하였다. 설문 분석 결과 초등학교 교사들의 영재 교육에 대한 인식은 대체로 긍정적이었으나, 세부적인 내용에 대한 인식은 낮은 편이었으며, 영재의 지적 특성에 대한 인식은 높았으나, 영재의 정서적 특성에 대한 인식은 낮았다. 그리고 영재의 조기판별에 대한 인식은 높았으나, 영재의 판별 기준에 대한 인식이나 판별 능력은 낮은 편이었다. 또한 영재 프로그램에 대한 인식은 접해본 경험 부족으로 인해 매우 낮았으며, 영재 담당 교사 연수에 대한 인식은 높았으나, 영재 담당 교사에 대한 의향은 매우 낮았다. 이로써 영재교육에 대한 이론적 인식은 보통이나 긍정적인 수준이었지만 실천적 인식은 영재교육에 대한 열악한 재정적, 행정적 환경으로 인해 낮은 수준에 있었음을 알 수 있었다. 본 연구는 영재교육에 대한 초등의 현실을 파악하고, 이를 기초로 교사들의 영재교육에 대한 올바른 인식을 형성하기 위한 방향을 모색하는 데 그 의의 가 있다.
The purpose of this study is to provide basic information on the current status of elementary school teachers' perception of gifted education. For this purpose, this study wi1l analyze elementary school teachers' perception of the gifted education (i.e., general perception of gifted education, characteristics of gifted children, identification of gifted children, programs for gifted education, and teachers of gifted education). A questionnaire survey was used for the purpose and research questions of this study. The questionnaire used in this study was constructed by taking into account the results of surveys conducted in previous studies and the literature on gifted education. Before conducting the research, a preliminary inquiry was made to identify problems that may occur while the subjects were participating in the survey, as well as to determine the appropriateness of the questionnaire and the amount of time needed. The preliminary inquiry was conducted with ten randomly selected elementary school teachers who did not participate as subjects in the actual research. The results were later used as initial data for the actual research. The subjects of this study were teachers who were teaching in8 elementary schools under each office of education in Seoul. This process was conducted for 180 elementary school teachers from April to May 2004. The results were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) Ver. 10.1, a software program for statistical research. After the data were analyzed, the following conclusions were arrived at: 1. The result of the genera1 perception of gifted education by elementary school teachers were positive and reasonably high. The level of their perception of detailed information or knowledge, however, was relatively low. 2. As for their perceptions of the emotional characteristics of gifted children, t11e results showed a low level of understanding of the characteristics of gifted children. 3. As for their perceptions of identification of gifted children, the results showed a high level of understanding of the appropriate time to provide special education to gifted children and of the methods to identify such. On the other hand, their understanding of the identification of gifted children in an actual class was poor. 4. The respondents' level of perceptions of programs for gifted education was very low since many subjects did not have any experiences with such programs. 5. The results showed a very positive response to receiving training on gifted education, though they were very reluctant to be assigned as teachers of gifted education because of the excessive work that is associated with such and their lack of capability in handling gifted children.