THE EXPANDED ROLE OF REGULAR CLASS TEACHERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION

Authors

  • Melvyn I. Semmel University of California, Santa Barbara
  • Dorothy S. Semmel University of California, Santa Barbara

Abstract

Man proposes; God - and in this case the teacher - disposes. It is plain that the ambitions conceived for mainstreaming will only he achieved if regular teachers in fact manifest the kinds of competence and attitude that are assumed. The Semmels review the literature looking for evidence concerning the status among teachers of the appropriate competencies and attitudes, and discuss the implications the findings have for programs of teacher education. They find low self-esteem among teachers who take part with other professionals in joint planning; a promising if too general level of expertise in making assessments of pupils; and a potential challenge from the computer to the quality of their input into the formulations of objectives. The attitudes of teachers towards individualization and to having handicapped pupils in class suggest a major reexamination of some assumptions. Each of these situations has clear implications for the kind of education teachers should receive.

Author Biographies

Melvyn I. Semmel, University of California, Santa Barbara

Melvyn I. Semmel is Professor and head of the Program in Special Education at the Graduate School of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been the Director of the Center for Innovation in Teaching the Handicapped at Indiana University. His current interests are in policy issues related to mainstreaming, teacher education research, and computer technologies in educational research and development.

Dorothy S. Semmel, University of California, Santa Barbara

Dorothy S. Semmel is Lecturer in Special Education at the University of California at Santa Barbara. She has been a research associate at the Center for Innovation in Teaching the Handicapped, and Assistant Professor of Special Education at Indiana University. Her major interests are in research on teacher behaviour and teacher education program development in special education.

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Published

1979-09-01

How to Cite

Semmel, M. I., & Semmel, D. S. (1979). THE EXPANDED ROLE OF REGULAR CLASS TEACHERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION. McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 14(003). Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/7296

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 003 (1979)

Section

Articles

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