Autobiography Researches On Special Education Teachers' Professional Development

The professional development of teachers is a key topic in the current studies on education.As special education is receiving more and more attention in China,there have been more and more studies on the professional development of special education teachers,and the focus has been shifted from teachers as a group to individual teachers.In view of this,with the researcher myself as the subject of the study,the researcher tries to carry out autobiographical narrative research on an individual special education teacher.Through such approaches as extensive review,special attention,personal statement writing,reflection,redevelopment,etc.,as well as the analysis of true personal perception and experience,the professional development process of special education teachers is discussed.The characteristics of such development are summarized,while problems encountered in its development and corresponding causes are analyzed.Based on the analysis of these causes,corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward.First of all,based on the presentation and description of the story of "I",the subject of the study,it is concluded that the career development of A("I" am taken out as the researcher,while A takes the place of the subject of the study)has gone through four periods,namely the probationary stage,the expert stage,the withdrawal stage,and the renewal stage.With the continuous development of the career,A has experienced the progression from a novice teacher to an experienced teacher then to an expert teacher in terms of professional development.The professional development of A has expressed the characteristics of gradualness,continuity,comprehensiveness,ecological features and retrospective.For special education teachers,their career development is the result of interactions between individuals and the environment.On the one hand,the continuous improvement and accumulation of professional skills and qualities of individuals drive them to make decisions to seek a better environment with greater potential for professional development.On the other hand,the constant change of the external environment of their workplace(the school environment,the social culture,policies,etc.)demands special education teachers respond quickly and adapt to the changes in the environment.Secondly,by focusing on the different stages of A's career,it is discovered that teachers might have to face various problems in their professional development.These problems encompass growing pains,dilemmas in making decisions,difficulties in interpersonal relationships,limitations in career development,conflicts of cultural institutions,etc.The main causes for those problems may lie in:the limitation of the professional development of special education teachers brought by the lack of professional qualities;the wearing down of their motivations for professional development due to job burnout;the restriction of their professional development as a result of the shortage of teaching support;the shackles on their professional development arising from differences in cultural institutions.Thirdly,according to the above analysis,this study finds that the specific characteristics of special education objects affect the professional development process of special education teachers.Outstanding teachers guide the professional development of "future teachers" in the aspects of knowledge,skills and ethics.The prior educational background at a young age inspires the professional exploration of special education teachers.High-quality pre-service education serves as a good foundation for the professional development of special education teachers.The practical experience on multiple posts is conducive to broadening the professional vision of special education teachers.The interdisciplinary talent cultivation model is conducive to enlarging the depth and width of the professional development of special education teachers.The handling of interpersonal relationships also affects the career development of special education teachers.Finally,this study recommends special education teachers to:learn to address the growing pains and plan the path for professional development;be able to solve dilemmas and improve their ability to make their own decisions;avoid falling into difficult situations in interpersonal relationships and do well in communication and socialization;break through the limitations in career development and make plans for career development;resolve cultural conflicts and adapt to the ecology and culture at the workplace.The effective achievement of the above objectives requires the joint efforts of individual teachers,teacher education institutions,schools where the teachers serve,the state and relevant stakeholders.