A Validation of Factors Influencing Parents' Selection of Elementary School Placements for Their Children with Disabilities

Heo, Jungyeon; Park, Seunghee

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Commun Sci Disord. 2002;7(2): 271-296.

Jungyeon Heo^` , and Seunghee Park^`

허정연(Jungyeon Heo)| 박승희(Seunghee Park)

ABSTRACT

The fir st purpose of this study was to extract the factor s that the parent s consider when select elementary schools for their children. For this, factor analysis was employed using common factor analysis model. The second purpose was to examine any significant differences in the degree of consideration on each factor among the parent s who selected general schools and those who selected special schools. To compare the scores of each factor which was rated by two groups, t - test s was used. A questionnaire containing 35 items which parent s might consider when they selected elementary schools for their children with disabilities was developed through a series of steps. The survey was then rated by the two groups: (1) parent s who sent their children with disabilities to general schools (n = 103); and (2) parent s who sent their children with disabilities to special schools (n = 175). Parent s were asked to fill in the questionnaire asking how much they considered each item when they selected elementary school options for their children. Nine factor s obtained from the factor analysis were discussed in the study. Rated most considered factor is p rof ess ionalism of sp ecial education teachers . Result s of t - test s revealed significant differences between the groups for the degrees of consideration about only factor Ⅴ (p < .001). Statistically, parent s who selected special schools concerned more about the factor Ⅴ. And parent s who selected general schools concerned more about the items relating to interaction with their children and nondisabled peer s in the factor Ⅰ. This study generated a set of basic data to be used for assisting parent s who select elementary school placement s for their children with disabilities. Some limitations of this study and suggestions for the future research were discussed.

Keywords: 초등학교 선택요인 | 학교배치 | 초등학교로의 전이