<Abstract>
The Impacts of a Transition Planning Program based on Self-Determination Skills on the Instructional Outcomes of Students with Intellectual Disabilities in the Special Job Training Course of a Special School
Im, Dae-Seob
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<Abstract>
The Impacts of a Transition Planning Program based on Self-Determination Skills on the Instructional Outcomes of Students with Intellectual Disabilities in the Special Job Training Course of a Special School
Im, Dae-Seob
Department of Special Education
Graduate School
Woosuk University
Academic Advisor: Bang, Myong-Ye, Ph. D.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of a transition planning program based on self-determination skills on the instructional outcomes of students with intellectual disabilities in the special job training course of a special school. The research questions were as follows: (1) Is there a statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group on the self-determination skills evaluated by teachers? (2) Is there a statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group on the student awareness of transition planning evaluated by teachers? (3) Is there a statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group on the adaptive behaviors evaluated by teachers? (4) Is there a change of the student awareness of transition planning evaluated by students themselves in the experimental group?
The research design was a pre-and post- test control group design. The subjects were 32 students with intellectual disabilities in the special job training courses of special schools. Sixteen students in one special school were assigned into the experimental group, and 16 students in the other special school were assigned into the control group. Each group was composed of 8 males and 8 females.
The intervention, as the independent variable, was the transition planning program based on self-determination skills. The transition planning program was developed on the basis of Bang(in press), Bang, Lee, and Lee(2009), Bang(2006c), Bang and Kim(2006). The intervention was implemented to the experimental group through 46 sessions for 9 weeks. The control group participated in a regular job training activities. The intervention included four educational outcomes of a transition program: job, post-secondary education, residence, and leisure. Activities of each outcome were based on 9 subskills of self-determination skills: (a) self-awareness, (b) self-management skills, (c) choice-making skills, (d) self-advocacy skills, (e) support network skills, (f) community use skills, (g) social skills, (h) cooperative skills, and (i) stress management skills.
The instructional outcomes, as the dependent variables, in the study were: (a) student self-determination skills evaluated by teachers, (b) student awareness of transition planning evaluated by teachers, (c) student adaptive behaviors evaluated by teachers, and (d) student awareness of transition planning evaluated by students themselves. The student self-determination skills were evaluated by teachers using the Self-Determination Scale for People with Disabilities in Transition, that was composed of 180 items, developed by Bang(2008) and the Self-Determination Teacher Perception Scale, that was composed of 30 items, developed by Hoffman and his collegues(2000). The student awareness of transition planning was evaluated by teachers using the 12-item observation checklist developed by the author. The student adaptive behaviors were evaluated by teachers using the 13-item observation checklist, that was used by Bang and her collegues(2004), revised by the author. The student awareness of transition planning was evaluated by students themselves who wrote self-reflection journals after each session.
To answer the research questions #1- #3, two independent sample t-tests were implemented. To answer the research question #4, percentages were used.
The study results were as follows:
(1) There was a statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group on the self-determination skills evaluated by teachers.
(2) There was a statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group on the student awareness of transition planning evaluated by teachers.
(3) There was a statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group on the adaptive behaviors evaluated by teachers.
(4) There was a positive change of the student awareness of transition planning evaluated by students themselves in the experimental group.
The limitations of the study were as follows: (a) The school effect could not be controlled because 16 students in one special school were assigned into the experimental group, and 16 students in the other special school were assigned into the control group. (b) The intervention was implemented to the experimental group as an after school program through 46 sessions for only 9 weeks.
Suggestions for the future studies were as follows: (a) Transition planning programs based on self-determination skills should be integrated to regular curriculums as early as possible. (b) Transition planning programs based on self-determination skills should be taught for students with other categories of disabilities. (c) Age-appropriate comprehensive and systematic transition planning programs should be developed for all ages.
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