Research reveals that generic skills are essential for supporting students to not only finish school education but also achieve transition to the workplace and adult life. However, a comprehensive literature review found limited studies have been done to develop an assessment tool for examining the generic skills of students with special educational needs (SEN). Based on two sub-studies, the current study aimed to develop a short form of the Generic Skills Teacher-Rating Scale (GSTS) to assess six generic skills (i.e., Collaboration, Communication, Problem-solving, Self-management, Information Technology, Critical thinking) of SEN students. A total of 231 Hong Kong students from six special schools (including primary and secondary levels) participated in the two studies. Both CFA and Rasch analyses support a six-factor solution of the GSTS with reasonably good model fit indices. Researchers and educators may view the GSTS as an assessment tool, adding more information on SEN students’ generic skills beyond classroom settings to understand the daily-life functioning of students in special education and inclusive education settings. Implications of the results and future directions are also discussed. Copyright © 2022 The Special Education Society of Hong Kong Ltd.

While the short form of career development self-efficacy inventory (SF-CDSEI) has been validated in students with and without special educational needs, the relationships between the five subscales (i.e., Career goal setting, Career planning, vocational training selection, Job hunting preparation and Job hunting) have not yet been adequately explored to inform more effective practices (e.g., intervention development). Based on the Social cognitive career theory (SCCT), this study examined their relationships based on two SCCT-supported models with a new sample of secondary students with SEN(n=218). In model 1, student self-efficacy of career planning (CP) and career goal setting (CGS) were two cognitive-oriented predictors of a general action-oriented self-efficacy factor consisting of job-hunting preparation (JHP), vocational training selection (VTS) and job-hunting behavior (JHB). In model 2, JHP and VTS formed a general factor of job-hunting preparation (G-JHP), while JHB was separated. The results of model 1 showed 95% variance of action-oriented CDSEI could be explained by cognitive-oriented self-efficacy of CP and CGS with CGS was a stronger predictor (β=.60 vs. β=.43). Comparatively, model 2 showed that 90% variance of G-JHP and 87% JHB could be explained by career planning and career goal setting. But as compared to CGS(β=.42), CP (β=.57) was a stronger predictor of JHB. For G-JHP, CGS was a stronger predictor (β=.68) as compared to CP (β=.32). The results are discussed in relation to the SCCT to develop intervention programs for addressing the needs of SEN students in terms of CDSEI. Copyright © 2020 International Conference on Learning and Teaching.

According to two updated statistical reports, in 2014/2015, there are 17,981 students with special educational needs (SEN) integrated in mainstream schools. In 2017/2018, 7,896 students are learning in 62 special schools in Hong Kong. In searching for equality for students with SEN, for both special and inclusive schools, there is a common goal to help these students achieve as much independence as they can and “become well-adjusted individuals in the community”, so as to maximize these students’ potential to the full (Education Bureau, 2017). Unfortunately, there are relatively limited studies to investigate parents’ views of post-school transition options from a comparative perspective. With an aim to collect in-depth data from parents, this study conducted focus group interviews among two groups of parents. Among these options, early employment, sub-degree programmes, and further education in universities are three major options reported. Compared to parents of SEN students in special schools, those in mainstream schools reflected their stronger desire, but a relatively unrealistic transition option for mainly expecting their SEN students to continue education in universities. For parents of SEN students in special schools, although they understand early employment at sheltered workshops may be a main transition option for their children, they also raised their concerns and made recommendations to improve services of existing sheltered workshops in Hong Kong. Based on the results and an official implementation of career guidance and lifelong planning education since 2014 in both educational settings, we discussed potential solutions for catering for SEN students’ successful transition needs. Copyright © 2018 HKERA International Conference.

The Self-Report Family Inventory (SFI) is a 36-item scale developed by Beavers, Hampson, and Hulgus (1990) to assess competent and dysfunctional family functioning. While the SFI is widely tested in the areas of counselling psychology and clinical psychology, considerably less effort has been allocated to examine its psychometrics in educational settings. By using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) based on previous research, this study aimed to validate the Chinese version of SFI (C-SFI, Shek, 1998) with a sample of Hong Kong secondary students with special educational needs (SEN). The key purpose was to provide a useful tool to assess family functioning of this vulnerable population of students to inform practice improvement to cater for their needs. Consistent with Shek’s studies in typically developed students, the results of EFA showed a two-factor pattern. CFA results provided further evidence showing the best model fit indices were for the two-factor solution (i.e., family health and family pathology) compared with other competing models. This study also developed a short form (8 items instead of 36) of the C-SFI, which would be regarded as a parsimonious screening tool for researchers and practitioners to test family functioning of SEN students.家庭自我報告量表 (SFI) 是由 Beavers, Hamson, 及 Hulgus 在 1990 年編製的評估家庭功能狀況的量表。雖然該量表被廣泛應用於輔導心理學和臨床心理學，然而在教育領域的應用卻鮮有報導。本研究在已有研究的基礎上，通過探索性因素分析和驗證性因素分析評估中文版 SFI (C-SFI, Shek, 1998) 在香港有特殊學習需要中學生群體中的信度和效度。研究的主要目的是為有特殊教育需要學生這一弱勢群體提供一個有用的家庭功能評估工具。並在了解他們家庭功能的基礎上，為改進幫扶這一特殊需要群體的實踐提供指導作用。探索性因素分析結果生成兩個因素，這與已有的在香港普通學生中的研究結果一致。驗證性因素分析進一步提供了兩因素模型相關的擬合指數。本研究在原中文問卷的基礎上(36 條題項)，發展了一個簡化版 SF-C-SFI(8 條題項)。簡化版的兩因素與原版對應的兩因素之間的相關係數較高，達到 r=.92 以及 r=.94。 本研究初步為研究者和實踐者提供一個簡化版的篩查工具，用以評估殘疾學生的家庭功能。 Copyright © 2017 The Special Education Society of Hong Kong Ltd.

The present investigation validated a short form of Career Development Self-Efficacy Inventory (CD-SEI) in students with a wide range of special educational needs (SEN). Participants were a sample of S3 to S6 SEN students who have been integrated in regular schools in Hong Kong (N =103). The SF-CD-SEI consists of five key domains to assess students' self-efficacy in career planning, career goal setting, training selection, job hunt preparation, and job hunting. The results showed good reliability estimates for the whole scale and for all five sub-scales. Based on previous research on validating the complete CD-SEI, a series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed to test three competing models of the internal structure of the SF-CD-SEI. The results showed the high order model (model 3) had the best model fit compared to one general factor model (model 1) and five-factor model (model 2). These findings were consistent with those identified in previous studies with non-SEN students. The SF-CD-SEI provides researchers, educators and practitioners a useful instrument to assess SEN students' competences in career planning in order to develop self-efficacy enhancement interventions to cater for these students' career development needs.
[Copyright © 2015 The Special Education Society of Hong Kong Ltd.]