Perceptions of Special Education Homeroom Teachers by Parents and Teachers in Israel

Abstract

Homeroom teachers in special education make outstanding efforts and are extremely devoted to their work. However, they must contend with frustrated parents who are disappointed with the inability of these teachers to meet their needs and expectations. Accordingly, it is of great interest to examine parents' perceptions of the role of the homeroom teacher in special education. The current study examines these perceptions regarding four dimensions of the homeroom teacher’s functioning versus the parents: Professionality, trustworthiness, availability, and empowerment. Parents' perceptions were examined in comparison with those of teachers at special education schools. The sample included 100 parents and 101 teachers in special education schools. The data were collected by a questionnaire constructed by the researchers in a previous study. The questionnaire includes four parts, examining the dimensions mentioned above. The teachers' questionnaire was identical, but they were instructed to refer to the relationship between the homeroom teacher and the parents. The findings show that the parents gave significantly lower evaluations than the teachers on all four dimensions: the homeroom teacher was perceived by the parents as less professional, less trustworthy, less available, and less empowering than evaluated by the teachers. The findings have practical implications for the training of special education teachers and for the professional development of teachers and also for coordinating expectations and defining boundaries that might help both homeroom teachers and parents form a constructive relationship.