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.

Students with special educational needs (SEN) are at an elevated risk of psychological and behavioural dysfunctions. In this study, we conducted a survey of parents of students with SEN in Hong Kong to examine the impact of two school practices – learning support and school climate – on the psychological and behavioural functioning (PBF) of students with SEN. We also examined the mediating effects of social participation and academic engagement. Questionnaires were distributed to 586 parents in 139 primary schools. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis show that perceived school climate has a direct effect on perceived PBF, while perceived learning support does not. Perceived learning support has two indirect effects on perceived PBF, with perceived academic engagement or social participation as a mediator. The findings have implications for the effective use of educational resources to support the inclusive education of students with SEN.
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Hong Kong has successfully implemented various education and curriculum reforms since 2000. Starting from 2009, the New Academic Structure with a new 6-year secondary (3-year junior secondary and 3-year senior secondary) curriculum and 4 years of undergraduate education has been launched. There was a review of the progress of senior secondary curriculum implementation which showed good progress and a gradual realization of the seven learning goals related to healthy lifestyle, breadth of knowledge, learning and language skills, reading habit, and national identity and responsibility. In May 2014, the Education Bureau (EDB) issued the document “Guide on Life Planning Education and Career Guidance for Secondary Schools” emphasizing that under holistic learning and lifelong education perspectives, students’ motivation on pursuing their career/academic pathway should be cultivated. Concomitant with the education reform, there was a decline or ignorance of vocational and technical education in Hong Kong in past years, but recently the government established a “Task Force on Promotion of Vocational Education” to map out a strategy to raise the awareness and promote vocational education and training in Hong Kong. Against this background, this chapter discusses how education reform has embedded and contextualized life planning and vocational and technical educations with the emerging socioeconomic changes in Hong Kong. It is argued that in senior secondary education, life planning education should not only focus on career planning and guidance but also embrace a comprehensive perspective linking life education and future-oriented approach promoting entrepreneurship and innovative spirit. For vocational and technical education, it needs to be repositioned not only focusing on vocational training but also highlighting the development of students’ generic and employment skills in knowledge-based society like Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, students with special educational needs (SEN) are able to access the senior secondary education in the 12-year free education. Teachers teaching students with SEN have to prepare their students with knowledge, skills, and competency for overcoming the challenges of lifelong learning and career planning. It is well noted the post-school transition period signifies the transition to adulthood and independent life. A successful transition may lead to students’ adaptive motivation to continuing higher education or employment opportunities, which contributes to good quality of life. However, for students with SEN, they often need to face more challenges than regular students do. This chapter first discusses the contextual analysis for the education of students with SEN in Hong Kong schools by analyzing the increasing number and complexity of disabilities, concerted effort in school support and pathways of postsecondary education. However, teachers always reported the uncertainties and difficulties in supporting the smooth transition of the SEN graduates. By taking account of the research done by the authors specifically through a series of focus group interviews to a wide range of stakeholders, the chapter identifies variables affecting the post-school transition outcomes of students with SEN in Hong Kong. With reference to the contextual needs, the identified variables inform the policy change in career guidance and support for students with SEN. Implications and recommendations at individual, school, community, and policy levels are discussed. In regard to the development of career guidance and planning in schools, this chapter will finally conclude the intensive support, supporting strategies, and multiple pathways for students with SEN in Hong Kong.

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.]

Career planning plays a salient role in determining the individuals’ goal setting, work engagement, and outcomes. In school settings, helping students to establish good career planning would contribute not only to maximize their potential to learn and achieve based on their personal strengths, but also to suit their career development needs. However, to students with special educational needs (SEN), they are usually the group facing greater challenges in career planning and development compared to regular students. In the Hong Kong context, the present study took the initiativeto examine the aspirations, expectations, and challenges of post-secondary school transition among SEN students and their parents. A qualitative approach through a series of focus group interviews was adopted. Over 70 SEN students from both mainstream schools (n =38) and special schools (n =34) and 37 parents of SEN student participated in this study. The results were categorized into career aspirations, difficulties and challenges, expectations and recommendations of SEN students and their parents. The results draw educators’ attention of the found inadequacy of positive attitude to career planning and low confidence levels to achieve desirable post-school transition outcomes among SEN students. Implications are discussed in relation to SEN students’ needs of career planning training and career development.

Although worldwide practices of inclusive education aim to provide equal learning opportunities for students with special educational needs (SEN) to support their learning performance in schooling, comparatively less is known about these students' competences in preparing and achieving their post-secondary school outcomes. This study extended previous research on testing ordinary secondary students' career development self-efficacy to the population of students with special educational needs. Participants were grades 9 to 12 SEN students in Hong Kong. Eight types of SEN were included. The Career Development Self-Efficacy Inventory (CE-SEI) assessed five key domains of career development self-efficacy (i.e., career planning, career goal setting, training selection, job hunt preparation, and job hunting). The confirmatory factor analysis supported the consistency of internal structure of this instrument in SEN students. The correlation analysis showed statistically significant correlations among the five key factors of career development. This study has practical implications to help school stakeholders to develop effective career guidance to support SEN students by using this validated short form of CE-SEI as a useful screening tool to diagnose pre-existing problems of SEN students' career development self-efficacy. Implications of this study are also discussed in relation to current implementation of career guidance and lifelong education policy in secondary schools.

Based on interview data from a wide range of stakeholders in Hong Kong, this study provides valuable findings of current progress and challenges of Special Educational Needs students’ post-school transition.

By integrating family functioning and parents’ evaluation of self-determination of students with special educational needs (SEN), this study tests parents’ attitudes towards inclusive education in Hong Kong.