Quality of school life of students with physical disability studying in mainstream schools

Quality of school life of students with physical disability studying in mainstream schools

• Yuen,Yuet Ming

Hong Kong

Dept. of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

2011

• E Special Education
  • EA Education for Students with Physical Disabilities

Children with disabilities Education China Hong Kong Special education Mainstreaming in education

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Unknown or Unspecified

From 1997 onward, integrated education has been developing rapidly in Hong Kong. Since then, many students with physical disability (PD) were integrated into mainstream schools. In catering for the special needs of students with PD, many mainstream schools had taken steps to improve physical accessibility. However, it was generally agreed that students' needs on other aspects, such as on peer interaction and learning, were less attended to. The present study investigated the quality of school life (QSL) in students with PD in mainstream schools. The QSL model proposed by Williams and Batten (1981) was adopted. Qualitative research method was chosen. Four students who were / had been studying in mainstream schools were interviewed. The interview was in a semi-structured format. Pre-designed questions concerning the following domains of school life, including general satisfaction, teacher-student relations, social integration, opportunity, achievement and status were asked. The questions were designed based on the QSL model of Williams and Batten (1981). Data obtained was transcribed, coded, and summarized. Summaries of the four interviews were provided. Further analysis was then carried out to identify key themes and concepts from the transcriptions. Through the analysis, it was found that the participants were satisfied with their school life in general. Among the important domains mentioned in Williams and Batten's QSL model, the participants were positive towards the domains of achievement (i.e. academic results) and opportunity (i.e. relevancy of the curriculum). In the domain of social integration which focused on interaction with peers, the participants had varying experiences. Two of the participants were satisfied with their relationship with peers while the other two experienced bUllying by their non-disabled peers. Even among students who regarded their interaction with peers as satisfactory, factors that negatively affected friendship development were identified. In sum, there was still room for improvement in terms of understanding and acceptance towards students with PD among non-disabled students. In the domain of teacher-student relations, the participants were generally satisfied with the attitudes of their teachers. However, the participants pointed out that their teachers did not possess necessary knowledge and skills in facilitating integration of students with PD. In the domain of status which concerned participants' perceived importance in school, the participants were positive about adaptations that schools made to enhance their academic performance. But on the other hand, they pointed out that their participation in extra-curricular activities, and in lessons such as physical education and home economics were limited. This resulted in limitation in their class participation. In order to enhance the quality of school life of this group of students, ways on improving teachers' readiness, on facilitating peer interaction, and on promoting participation in class were suggested.

MSc

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hong Kong

MSc in Health Care (Rehabilitation of People with Developmental Disabilities)

• English

Dissertation Theses

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/en/bibs/ac5e39cd

2014-09-17