The purpose of this study is to recognize the importance of the self-directed program in the education
welfare priority support project, explore practical experience of the community education specialists, and to
find an applicable alternative. For this, using the intentional sampling method, this study carried out a
focus group interview, by organizing two groups with 15 community education specialists, who had an
experience of practicing the self-directed program.
As a result of the study, the concept of the self-directed program in children who participated in the
education welfare priority support project was the process of learning how to cope with life in success and
failure. Besides, as the program provided an opportunity to explore ‘the self’ for the education welfare
target children, it was analyzed to have an advantage of effectiveness of killing two birds with one stone,
that both students and community education specialists grew together. On the other hand, a difficulty in
the self-directed program expanded in school is that poor working conditions led to distrust in clients. It
was also found the self-examination and self-reflection of doers had to be prepared to implement the
self-directed program. Therefore, in stabilizing the education welfare priority support project, this study has
significance that it became the basic data for suggesting necessity and practical possibility of the
self-directed program.