THE SPECIFICS OF PROFESSIONAL CHOICE OF PUPILS WITH A DISABILITY

1. THE SPECIFICS OF PROFESSIONAL CHOICE OF PUPILS WITH A DISABILITY Zdenek Friedmann Department of Technical Education Faculty of Education Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic friedmann@ped.muni.cz Bohumíra Lazarová Department of Educational Sciences Faculty of Arts Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic lazarova@phil.muni.cz

2. Introduction • …selected data of a large research project called Special needs of pupils in the context of the Framework Educational Programme conducted at the Faculty of Education Masaryk University in Brno. • Itaims to identify a whole range of factors which influence the education of pupils with special educational needs and propose measuresfor their education in mainstream schools… • Theresearch team charged with the field of Technology education and professional aspirations of pupils with special educational needs. • In this paper -partial results of the quantitative investigation conducted in 2009 ….theaim was to identify the specific features of educational choice of pupils with special educational needs – concretely pupils with specificlearning difficulties and behaviour disorders (with SLD and BD) .

3. Pupilswith SLD and BD in Czech basic schools • In the Czech Republic, similarly to other countries, the integration of disabled pupils into mainstream classes is promoted • the counselling role of the school is emphasised and in the last decade formation of so-called School counselling centres is endorsed • Pupils with SLD and BDrepresent a relatively strong group in Czech schools (on average, 2 % of pupils with serious problems and about 2 % of pupils with a light form) Some resources indicate that the number of children with these problems may reach 20 % • It is not a severe disability, rather a developmental deviation, nevertheless these pupils often encounter many educational problems which hinder decision making about their education and can also influence their job prospects.

4. Pupilswith SLD and BD on thelabourmarket • In the Czech Republic,there has been a discussion about the decline of crafts and vocational schools and lower quality of secondary education • Thereis ahigh number of comprehensive secondary schools which do not set entrance exams and relax their requirements on their pupils in an effort to attract and maintain pupils. • Many leavers (not only) of these schools then search for a job in vain. • Pupils with a disability might have a rather more complicated choice of educational and professional path.

5. On the data collection • Research: qualitative and quantitative methodology. Questions: • What are the most frequent factors influencing educational choices in children with SLD and BD? • How informed are they about the chosen branch? • What do they consider most difficult in their choice? • What is the most restricting factor in the choice? • What support are they expecting? …only selected data – those gained from the questionnaire investigation

6. On the data collection • 65 basic schools (we asked 42 students of our faculty to deliver the questionnaire to basic schools close to their home). In the schools selected this way students were to ask teachers or pupils of the 9th (last basic school year) with a diagnosed specific learning difficulty (dyslexia, dysgrahia, dysorhographia, etc.) or a behaviour disorder such as the ADHD syndrome • In total we obtained data from 214 pupils, out of them 146 boys and 68 girls. This distribution roughly corresponds with the findings that SLD and BD are more often diagnosed in boys. • ….comparison with other/similarresearchfocused on the“healthy“population • Both investigations were carried out in the time of the year when the pupils of 9th grade had already submitted their applications for secondary schools, • this second sample included 102 respondents („healthy“ pupils), 59 boys, 43 girls • we established only research questions (not hypotheses ) - indepenentresearches

7. Selected data from school case history • 44% of the pupils were integrated • 27% attended a club for children with dyslexia • 34% received after-school teaching • 41% were evaluated in a modified way • 9% relied on allowances made for them during secondary school entrance exams • 3%mentioned that they have an „assistant teacher“

8. Favourite subjectsand Unpopular subjects

9. Evaluationtechnology activities by pupilswith… Only 7% of pupils with SLD and BD stated that subjects The world of work or Technology activities had direct influence on their choice (in healthy pupils it was merely 5%).

10. Choosing educational path

11. Worries • Both groups of pupils were asked if they were looking forward to their secondary school studies and no differences were found between the groups. The highest number of pupils in both groups state that they are “rather looking forward“ to their new school. Regarding worries: • 64% of pupils with SLD and BD express concern about the subject matter, • 30% about new environment and schoolmates, Healthy pupils express worries less frequently: • 57% about subject matter and • 27% about schoolmates. 22% of pupils in both groups are really worried that they will not be accepted by the chosen school.

12. Alternative choiceandchoicetiming Greater differences between our groups were found as regards looking for alternative choice and as timing: 54% pupils with SLD &BD:there is not an alternative or they do not express so much interest in the other alternative 48% healthy pupils do not see any alternative Differences were also found regarding the timing of decision making. 20% of the pupils with SLD&BD state they chose the branch at the last moment 10% in healthy pupils postpone the decision till the last moment 35% pupils (SLD &BD)have been convinced about their choice for more than a year 46% healthy pupils have been convinced about their choice for more than a year In both groups 35-36% of the pupils state that the choice was easy and only 12-13% found their choice very difficult.

13. The choice influences 61% of pupils with SLD & BD consider their choice mainly their own decision 9% had only minimum influence concerning this decision The average influence (1 – has no influence, 5 – strong influence).

14. Influence ofexperts • 20% of pupilswithSLD&BD admit that their disability rather or significantly complicates the choice • 41% of pupils with SLD&BD claim they had consulted an expert • in the group of healthy pupils the choice was consulted with an expert by 27% of pupils • the influence of experts, i.e. teachers, psychologists or doctors is by both groups considered low

15. Needs • When inquiring the pupils about factors that would facilitate their choice we find out that some of their wishes can not be easily met, e.g. “I would like to try the job... to know if I will like it... to do mock practice“, etc. • 1% of the pupils would appreciate greater interest of their parents • 9% greater interest of teachers and school • 11%apprecietethe possibility to consult the choice with other experts more • 25% would appreciate experience and good reference of their peers • others claim that they do not expect any further support. The results of the research raise questions related to the role of the school and experts and provoke the discussion on what influence is actually expected from them. To gain a greater insight into the whole range of influences and pupils´ needs in this area we are conducting qualitative investigations (case studies) too within our research, and we present them in other papers.

16. Thankyou