영어회화전문강사제에 대한 초등교사의 인식과 개선방안에 관한 연구

Abstract

This study uses a questionnaire and an interview to examine elementary school teachers' perceptions of and possible alternatives to the current educational policy which has introduced English Conversation Instructors to the elementary schools. Queries were designed to identify what teachers think about the English Conversation Instructor System, recently introduced by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEST) and also to identify possible solutions for the current problems in English education caused by the introduction of the new system. Survey data were selectively collected from 250 elementary teachers and 24 English Conversation Instructors at 24 elementary schools in Gyeongsang province. The research data suggests that teachers think the qualification criteria of English Conversation Instructors should be tightened to include a teaching license. Moreover, the findings indicate that a ‘tightened’ qualification criteria would be preferred by both English Conversation Instructors and elementary school teachers. The results show the elementary school teachers answered negatively to questions on the introduction of the new English Conversation Instructor System and suggest some alternative plans and remedial measures would be better for English education in Korea. This study also suggests some ways of improving the system of English Subject Only Teachers which has been put into effect in elementary schools as a remedial measure for the English Conversation Instructor System.