최근 일반 중학교에 특수학급이 증설되고 있다. 그러한 일반 중학교에서 장애학생의 통합교육이 효과적으로 이루어지기 위해서는 일반 중학생의 장애학생에 대한 태도가 중요한 요인으로 작용한다. 본 연구는 장애이해 프로그램을 통해 일반 중학생의 장애학생에 대한 태도 및 자존감이 향상되는지 알아보는 것이 목적이었다. 연구대상은 G광역시 I중학교 2학년 2개 학급 학생 총 74명이었다. 연구설계는 학급을 단위로 실험 및 통제 집단에 각각 임의로 배치한 준실험설계였다. 장애이해 프로그램은 장애에 대한 정보제공, 장애인과의 직간접적 접촉, 장애체험 및 집단토의 등을 주요 요소로 하여 일반 중학교에서 실시할 수 있는 형태로 구성한 것이었다. 장애이해 프로그램은 2004년 4-7월 중 1주에 1회기씩 총 10주 실시했다. 일반 중학생의 장애학생에 대한 태도는 Voeltz(1980)의 수용성 척도와 Siperstein과 Gottlieb(1977)의 활동선호도 척도를 사용하여 측정했으며, 자존감은 Rosenberg(1965)의 자아존중감 척도를 사용했다. 장애이해 프로그램은 일반 중학생들의 장애학생에 대한 수용성 및 활동선호도 증가에 긍정적인 효과가 있었으며, 일반 중학생들의 자존감 고양에도 효과적이었다.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a disability-awareness program on enhancing middle school students' self-esteem and attitudes toward those with disabilities and to examine the effects of the program in relation to the students' gender. Two eighth-grade classes at a middle school in G metropolitan city were randomly recruited and assigned either to the experimental group or to the control group. The experimental group participated in a 10-week disability-awareness program from April 29 until July 15, 2004, 45 minutes per session and one session a week, in moral subject classes (four sessions) or creative activity classes (six sessions). The program, implemented by the researcher, addressed the topics such as unbiasing stereotypes about disabilities, terminology and characteristics of each type of disabilities, a case of an employed adult with autism, a society in which people with disabilities and those without disabilities live together, and etc. A teacher, who was not otherwise involved in the study, administered three measures to both groups. The Disability Acceptance Scale (Voeltz, 1980) and the Activity Preference Scale (Siperstein & Gottlieb, 1977) were used to measure two aspects of the participants' attitudes toward students with disabilities. Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale was administered to assess the self-esteem of the participants. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with the pretest as a covariate revealed that the disability-awareness program had significant effects on increasing the level of disability acceptance and activity preference, as well as selp-esteem, among middle school students without disabilities. This study implies that moral subject classes and creative activity classes can be used for implementing disability-awareness program with the aim of improving middle school students' attitudes toward disability and self-esteem.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a disability-awareness program on enhancing middle school students' self-esteem and attitudes toward those with disabilities and to examine the effects of the program in relation to the students' gender. Two eighth-grade classes at a middle school in G metropolitan city were randomly recruited and assigned either to the experimental group or to the control group. The experimental group participated in a 10-week disability-awareness program from April 29 until July 15, 2004, 45 minutes per session and one session a week, in moral subject classes (four sessions) or creative activity classes (six sessions). The program, implemented by the researcher, addressed the topics such as unbiasing stereotypes about disabilities, terminology and characteristics of each type of disabilities, a case of an employed adult with autism, a society in which people with disabilities and those without disabilities live together, and etc. A teacher, who was not otherwise involved in the study, administered three measures to both groups. The Disability Acceptance Scale (Voeltz, 1980) and the Activity Preference Scale (Siperstein & Gottlieb, 1977) were used to measure two aspects of the participants' attitudes toward students with disabilities. Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale was administered to assess the self-esteem of the participants. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with the pretest as a covariate revealed that the disability-awareness program had significant effects on increasing the level of disability acceptance and activity preference, as well as selp-esteem, among middle school students without disabilities. This study implies that moral subject classes and creative activity classes can be used for implementing disability-awareness program with the aim of improving middle school students' attitudes toward disability and self-esteem.

Attitude toward Students with Disabilities, Acceptance, Activity Preference, Self-esteem, Middle School Students