Research On The Current Situation For Teachers' Professional Development And Needs In Schools For Developmentally Challenged Students

The development of special education is a window which reflects the quality of a country's education, the development of special education teachers is the core of the development of special education, and directly determines the development level of special education. China's special education career starts late, Special education teachers on the job training, career development planning, and so there is no systematic mechanism for re-education. However, the professional development of teachers is the core of teacher development, the research on the specialization of special teachers is less in China.This study depends on the case of teachers in special school, using self-questionnaire"Special School Teacher Professional Development Status and Needs Questionnaire", and made a survey on teachers of four special schools in Dalian, to explore the professional development status and needs of teachers, and to analyze characteristics of special school teachers'professional development status and needs. Proposals will be raised according to the results of this research. This article holds that the existing problem of Teachers in school for with mental retardation children professional development is: The specialization grade of special school teachers is not high. The degree of special school teachers is at a lower level. Some special schools teachers have no background of special education.This study concluded that: 1. The professional development of Teachers in school for with mental retardation children is to be examined from the following six basic factors structure: The promotion of students'individual development, professional upgrading and career norms, basic contents of special education, teaching design and development, diagnosis and assessment of mental retardation of, related knowledge on supporting education and teaching. 2. The professional status development of Teachers in school for children with mental retardation is at a lower-middle level, and the professional development needs is at a middle-higher level. 3. Those Teachers in school for children with mental retardation who are non-professional are at a low status level and a high needs level at two fields: the basis contents of special education, and the professional upgrading and career norms. 4. Teachers with bachelor's degree are at a high status level on the fields of basic special education content and the diagnosis and assessment of mental retardation, and performance that they have lower demands on all fields comparatively. All teachers are in higher aggregate demands. 5. Teachers teaching different grade students are at different status development levels and different needs on the fields of the promotion of students'individual development, teaching design and development, related knowledge on supporting education and teaching. 6. For the professional status and needs of Teachers in school for with mental retardation children, there's no significant difference on school age.