Enhancing Academic Competence for Students with Disabilities: A School Review of the Post School Transition Program

Gunarhadi Gunarhadi,Joko Yuwono,Mahardika Supratiwi,Herry Widyastono,Mohd Hanafi Mohd Yasin,Hermawan Hermawan,Dewi Sri Rejeki

doi:10.20961/ijpte.v5i1.50534

Abstract

<div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span>High school leavers generally expect to be accepted into higher education. For graduate students with disabilities (SWD), however, entering college remains an exception. This study aims to identify the academic barriers to learning and the strategic preparation needed for college admission. The study was conducted in 12 special education high schools in Central Java, Indonesia. A questionnaire and focus group discussion with the school teachers were employed to collect data on the transition programme activities of the respective schools. The questionnaire was self-reported by the school staff, who consisted of headmasters, teachers, and administrators, while the interview was used to elicit the academic barriers that students with disabilities encounter within their respective special schools. The data were analysed using both descriptive quantitative and qualitative measures. It was found that 1) students with disabilities interfere with both internal and external barriers to learning; 2) policies on the right to education provide meaningful assistance in the university enrolment of students with disabilities; and 3) the modified curriculum and instructional strategies are best employed with a variety of extra curricular activities. The research concludes that academic post school transition makes a major contribution to college admission for those with mild disabilities. </span></p></div></div></div>

Highlights

For SWD, pursuing study at college involves facing milestones of struggling efforts for the success of their post-school transition
Entering university is already daunting for students without disabilities (Gilbert & Hay, 2004), let alone for students with disabilities graduating from special schools
Low self-esteem and feeling of embarrassment due to the label of having lower learning capacity often cause reluctance to show up the positive opinions of the class (Gunarhadi, Mustapa, & Abdull Sukor, 2014)

Summary

Introduction

For SWD, pursuing study at college involves facing milestones of struggling efforts for the success of their post-school transition. There are at least three areas of challenges that SWD have to overcome in the postschool transition programme, ranging from barriers to learning for those with disabilities, to school barriers to the transition programme, and adaptation barriers to college. It is recommended that universities prepare teachers with in-service education programmes to increase their knowledge of such students before enrolment (Winn & Hay, 2009). They need even stronger power to face adversity in order to achieve success (Staltz, 2004). Under the specific priority of the post-school transition programme targeted at individuals’ special needs, such barriers could be reduced . For the transition programme to be effective, assessment should be available before intervention commences

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion