Study On Professional Identity And School Support Of Special Education Teachers In Guizhou

In recent years,the Chinese government has attached great importance to the construction of special education teachers and special education undertakings,and has issued a series of related documents.Teacher professional identity is a combination of teachers' active recognition,experience and behavioral propensity for their profession and internalized professional roles.Professional identity of special education teachers will affect the stability of special education teachers and the development of special education.Studies have shown that social support has an important impact on the formation and development of professional identity of special education teachers.Schools as an important part of society,school support will inevitably have a significant impact on the formation and development of special education teachers' professional identity.Although some researchers have separately done some research on teachers' professional identity and school support,however,there is no empirical study on the relationship between professional identity and school support of special education teachers.Therefore,it is necessary to study the professional identity,school support,and the relationship between the two aspects.The study focused on 306 teachers from 27 special education schools which are in seven states and prefecture-level city in Guizhou Province.The questionnaire survey method is mainly used to empirically study the professional identity and school support of special education teachers.The study indicates:(1)The self-provided "Special Education Teachers' School Support Questionnaire" has good reliability and validity and be used as a tool of research."Special Education Teachers' School Support Questionnaire" includes five dimensions.According to the scores,the dimensions accordingly are: professional guidance> emotional support> cooperative culture> material security> goal orientation.(2)The professional identity of special education teachers in Guizhou Province is higher.According to the scores of dimensions of professional identity of special education teachers,the dimensions accordingly are: value identity> professional identity> emotional identity> developmental identity.In general,there are no significant differences in the professional identity of special education teachers in Guizhou Province in background variables such as gender,teaching age,professional title,whether are authorized,position,professional background,training experience,and ethnicity.There are significant differences in background variables such as age,education background,teacher type,marriage status and teachers' region.(3)The school support of special education teachers in Guizhou Province is higher.In general,there are no significant differences in the school support of special education teachers in Guizhou Province in background variables such as gender,age,teaching age,professional title,education background,whether are authorized,position,teacher type,professional background,training experience and marriage status.However,there are significant differences in background variables such as teacher type,ethnicity and teachers' region.(4)There was a significant positive correlation between professional identity and school support of special education teachers in Guizhou Province.The significant correlations between professional identity and school support of special education teachers accordingly were: cooperative culture> material security> professional guidance> emotional support> goal orientation.Through stepwise multiple regression analysis,it was found that there are four variables that have significant predictive power for “professional identity” in the five predictors of “school support”.According to its explanation of the magnitude of variation,the dimensions accordingly are “cooperative culture”,“goal orientation”,“professional guidance” and “material security”.This study proposes the following countermeasures and suggestions.First,scientifically set up teacher education courses of special education major,reform education and teaching methods,and increase the professionalism identity of special education teachers.Second,establish and improve the rules and regulations for special education teachers' on-the-job training,and increase the developmental identity of special education teachers'.Third,improve the professional competence of principals of special education schools,fully play the principals' leading ability,and promote the professional development of special education teachers.Fourth,improve the examination and evaluation system for teachers in special education schools,and establish a mechanism for encouraging the professional development of special education teachers.Fifth,establish a professional community of special education teachers and cultivate cooperation culture of special education teachers.Sixth,the government should ensure special education development policies and economic support in ethnic minority areas and remote areas.