The study inquired into the differences in the level of learning opportunity, social
support, educational belief, and teaching expertise according to the placement
environment(special education schools, special education classes) of special teachers, analyzed
what factors affect teaching expertise, in particular, what factors have great relative effect, by
dividing the factors into learning opportunity, social support, and educational belief.
To do this, an investigation was conducted on 255 special education teachers. The results
of the study are as follows. First, analysis on the differing levels of learning opportunity,
social support, education belief, and teaching expertise on the basis of placement
environment(special education schools, special education classes) revealed that special
education school teachers had a higher level of ‘informal learning opportunity’ for learning
opportunity, ‘coworker support’ for social support, ‘teaching and learning view’ for
educational belief, and ‘after class activities’ for teaching expertise than special education
class teachers.
Second, Based on influences of learning opportunity, social support, and educational
belief upon teaching expertise, factors of educational belief and learning opportunity
explained 80.6% of teaching expertise. And educational belief had larger influences than
learning opportunity.
Third, Based on influences of sub-factors of learning opportunity, social support, and
educational belief upon teaching expertise, it was found that only view of teaching and
learning, view of curriculum, and view of learners of educational belief; informal and formal
learning opportunity had significant influences on teaching expertise. Such factors explained
82.7% of teaching expertise. For size of influence, view of teaching and learning, view of
curriculum, and view of learners of educational belief were larger than informal learning
opportunity. And informal learning opportunity was larger than formal opportunity. Based
on the study results, measures to strengthen teaching expertise of special education teachers
were discussed.