SGRA Kawaraban (Essay) in English

LEE Sujin “My challenge as a Researcher and an Educator”

During my doctoral course period of three years, I put my efforts into activities in academic conference and writing theses. And it made me think of “Assignment as a Researcher and Educator”. In the field of special support education, the number of researchers who are active in this field was small. Many people are active as University instructors and at the same time as researchers. Under such situation, I became a part-time teacher of the subject “Special Support Education” for students who aim to be teachers in future. 

 

I have accepted a class keeping my conflict of feeling and I proceed the class without any experience as a teacher. However, I read various comments of participants like “I attend the class to become good teacher” or “I attend the class to correspond to the students who have various needs”. And I realized gradually “I, as a teacher, like to give participants knowledge of special support education and those students would teach children in future”. As a result, I could explore how educator should be after I become one. would be an educator. I liked to guide students as an educator hereafter through trial and error.

 

When I worked in University as a teacher, I realized it was not easy to balance the position of researcher and educator. I, as a university staff must devote myself to both teaching and University assignments. At the same time, I must write essays and prepare conference presentation as a researcher. Now, I was swamped with preparation for class and meeting and unable to make any prediction when I started my research activities. I had an uneasy feeling if such situation would continue indefinitely. In the dizzying pace of my daily life, I would like to continue both educational and research activities without forgetting my first resolution as educator and researcher.

 

The point, as a researcher was how to communicate with teachers who were active in the educational sites which was my research field. I got a chance to accept a workshop which has theme of researchers and educators. And I realized my position as a researcher and an educator. At this workshop there were many teachers and graduate students who were working at elementary schools and special support schools. I got to know that they were asked to proceed their classes aiming for not only their own research results but supporting students’ needs in future also. I was researching “Career Education” at special support school for the mental retardation and was not aware of present situation and thesis of researchers at their educational sites. I could listen to their opinions was a good result. I think I, as an educator decreased communication gap between researcher and educator of students who aim to be teachers in future. When I was listening to teachers, I understood there was no change in what they were thinking of the students regardless of their positions as a researcher or an educator. However, there are researchers who consider pupils as a data. I realized an importance of ethical education

 

Especially, as the target of clinical psychology is human beings, human right is very important. I am always asking myself how I am aware of responsible research activities (RCR) and what I can do for such activities. I am reconsidering a goal of good research. Target of my present research is mild dyslexia. I have a feeling of necessity in my research activities in which I care about “Well-being” adding to present research ethics which are biasing to “informed consent”. Above all, I am keeping “Meaningful Life (contribution to the others)” in mind which is emphasized and like to continue my research which contribute to rich life of dyslexia and their supporters and parents.       

 

 

SGRA Kawaraban 697 in Japanese (Original)

 

 

LEE Sujin / 2020 Raccoon, Assistant Professor of Hamamatsu Gakuin University

 

 

Translated by Kazuo Kawamura

English checked by Sabina Koirala