A Study on the Role of Junior High SchoolResource Room Coordinators

[[abstract]]The main purpose of this research is to explore the present role situation of the resource room coordinators at junior high school (as well as the junior part of middle schools), to understand the condition of the role performance and role expectation, and furthermore, to investigate the role discrepancy and their coping strategies. The resource room coordinators and their partners (the special education directors and resource teachers) within the junior high school in seven counties and cities in the north of Taiwan in the 2009 academic year were selected as the research objects. A questionnaire survey was conducted in this research based on the self-made“questionnaire regarding the role of resource room coordinators at junior high school”. The valid questionnaires were 228, and the available percentage was 97.85. Frequency distribution, percentage, average and standard deviation were used to analyze the statistical data. According to the results of data analysis, this study came to the following conclusions: 1.The main duty of the resource room coordinators is to be responsible for “the curriculum affairs management” and “the program affairs execution”, moreover mapping out overall plans of“administrative coordination” and“identification and guidance of placement” with the special education directors. 2.In general, the resource room coordinators and the partners had common consensus in the role expectation of that job. However, there were still some differences in every perspective and question item. 3.More than half of the resource room coordinators realized the discrepancy between the role performance and the role expectations. Role performance was greater than role expectation in most cases. 4.The frequency of resource room coordinators’ adopting the strategies when facing the discrepancy of role perception is within the middle range. They often adopt the“initiative resolve discrepancy”coping strategy. 5.Variables such as the background of the resource room coordinators led to the differences in the reaction of the role performance, role expectation, role discrepancy, and the frequency of using the coping strategies. Finally, this study makes suggestions based on its findings. As to the special education authority, it’s better to set up the basic job duty and job allowance for the resource room coordinators in every county and city explicitly. And hold seminars on resource room related topics for the novice resource room coordinators. As to the special education section at junior high school, the selection of resource room coordinators should better focus on the individual volition, reaching the common consensus of role responsibility of that job, and set up a system for job transfer to carry on the experience. As to the resource room coordinators, they can improve their professional knowledge and skill by any access and be able to face the discrepancy situation of role perception and take action. Then by role changing, adjust the inaptness role expectation to the position. As to the future researchers, this study proposed some suggestions for the research objects, research technique and the research subject.