The Most Appropriate Space in Special Education : The Most Appropriate Distance between Mentally Retarded Children and Teacher

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  • 障害児教育における最適空間 : 精神遅滞児と教師の最適距離
  • 障害児教育における最適空間--精神遅滞児と教師の最適距離(資料)
  • ショウガイジ キョウイク ニ オケル サイテキ クウカン セイシン チタイジ

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We become a bit anxious when a good friend stands too distant and feel resentment when a stranger stands too close. In social interactions, particularly in education, it is necessary to arrange the interpersonal distance between child and teacher so as not to arouse anxiety but interact more intimately. We call this distance the most appropriate distance. In this "most appropriate distance", we think, there is "Die Padagogische Atmosphare" (Bollnow, 1969) that is indispensable to education. In this article, we made an attempt to explore the most appropriate distance between child and teacher. We observed the position in which 5 mentally retarded children sat down. The seating date consisted of 45 samples, and the major point of interest was who sat next to whom and who sat close to the teacher. The results showed that children who were deficient in language ability had a tendency to sit down close to the teacher and that children who were able to communicate verbally took seats farther from the teacher. The reason, we thought, was that the children who were deficient in language ability hardly interact with verbal communication but more with nonverbal communication. As they had to look at the face of the teacher to understand his intent, they sat closer. It resulted in anxiety for children deficient in language ability to put too much distance between them and teacher. Similarly it resulted in anxiety for the children who were not deficient in language ability to sit close. Thus we conclude that the ability of language is one of the factors which determines the most appropriate distance.

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