최근에 그 역할의 필요성과 중요성이 부각되고 있는 특수교육 보조원 제도의 취학전 배치와 관련해서 그 현황과 제도 개선을 위한 현장적인 기초 자료 제공을 목적으로, 본 연구에서는 특수교육 보조원과 이들이 배치된 유치원의 특수학급교사, 통합학급교사, 원장 등에 대한 면담을 실시하여 하여 이를 질적인 방법으로 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 특수교육 보조원 자신이나 관련 당사자들 모두 특수교육 보조원의 배치의 필요성과 활용에 대해 긍정적이었다. 그리고 특수교육 보조원은 교육인적자원부에서 제시한 교수 학습 지원․행동 문제 지원․개인 욕구 지원의 세 가지 중에서 교수 학습 지원 역할을 주로 수행하고 있었다. 그리고 관련 당사자들은 특수교육 보조원이 유아교육 환경과 장애유아 및 그 교수에 대한 이해가 사전 필수 지식과 기술면에서 필요하다고 보았고, 현재의 연수 내용이 도움이 되기는 했으나 역할 수행에는 내용적으로 부족하다고 평가하였다. 이에 대한 보완책으로 연수 시간의 증가와 함께 실습 시간의 배정 확대 및 배치 방법의 변화 등이 제안되었다.

In recent, the paraprofessional system was thought as important service of special and regular education in order to implement the qualitative inclusion of preschoolers with disabilities. This study was intended to provide the basic data of present conditions and future directions of the paraprofessional system, especially in perspective of vivid voice of the educational field. The direct interview method was used to gather the informations from the significant persons- paraprofessionals, special education teachers, early childhood teachers, and directors of kindergartens. The data were analyzed by constant comparative method qualitatively. The results were as followed. First, paraprofessionals and persons who concerned evaluated positively the needs and placement of paraprofessional system. Second, the major role of paraprofessionals was instruction and learning support in special or regular class. Third, special education teachers, early childhood teachers, and directors of kindergartens answered the understanding of the early childhood education system and the characteristics of children with disabilities, and their instructional methods in inclusive settings as the prerequisite knowledge and skills to work as paraprofessionals. Fourth, the present pre-service training was helpful to the paraprofessionals, but the contents of training program was short of working as the paraprofessionals. So the expansions of the training duration and the field training rate, and the change of placement system were discussed as future alternative directions.

In recent, the paraprofessional system was thought as important service of special and regular education in order to implement the qualitative inclusion of preschoolers with disabilities. This study was intended to provide the basic data of present conditions and future directions of the paraprofessional system, especially in perspective of vivid voice of the educational field. The direct interview method was used to gather the informations from the significant persons- paraprofessionals, special education teachers, early childhood teachers, and directors of kindergartens. The data were analyzed by constant comparative method qualitatively. The results were as followed. First, paraprofessionals and persons who concerned evaluated positively the needs and placement of paraprofessional system. Second, the major role of paraprofessionals was instruction and learning support in special or regular class. Third, special education teachers, early childhood teachers, and directors of kindergartens answered the understanding of the early childhood education system and the characteristics of children with disabilities, and their instructional methods in inclusive settings as the prerequisite knowledge and skills to work as paraprofessionals. Fourth, the present pre-service training was helpful to the paraprofessionals, but the contents of training program was short of working as the paraprofessionals. So the expansions of the training duration and the field training rate, and the change of placement system were discussed as future alternative directions.

inclusion,preschool paraprofessionals,direct interview