Abstract
Studies in the Person-Environment fit (P-E fit) framework suggested that the greater the match between students’ personality types and their academic major operationalized as personality-major congruence, the more likely they are to succeed. Surprisingly to date, little research has been done on the hearing-impaired population. Thus, this preliminary analysis examined the students’ personality types and the degree of personality-major congruence based on Holland’s theory of vocational personalities and work environment (1997). To provide theoretical focus, gender differences in congruence measure were also investigated. Samples consisted of 26 hearing-impaired students (N=26) undergoing Special Skills Certificate in 4 Polytechnics all across Malaysia. An adapted Malay version of Holland’s Self Directed Search-Form E (SDS-E) was used to measure students’ personality types. Findings on students’ personality-major congruence were descriptively analysed and further discussed. Mann-Whitney U Test was used to analyse differences in personality-major congruence by gender. Findings indicate that gender did not play any significant roles in academic major selection among the hearing-impaired students in Malaysian Polytechnics. However, to certain degree this preliminary analysis provides general information into the largely unstudied question of how the congruence between hearing-impaired students’ personality types and academic major play important role in promoting their educational outcomes. Finally, practical and theoretical considerations were also discussed.
Highlights
1.1 Widening Hearing-Impaired AccessibilitySpecial Skills CertificateDepartment of Polytechnic Education provides access and equity for Person with Disabilities (PWDs) in tertiary education through the establishment of Special Skills Certificate (Department of Polytechnic Education [DPE], 2012)
Findings indicate that gender did not play any significant roles in academic major selection among the hearing-impaired students in Malaysian Polytechnics
The mean analysis of the RIASEC scales found that Social personality type was among the three most dominant scales for all the academic majors (Table 2)
Summary
In order to widen accessibility, hearing-impaired students are given opportunities to enrol in any of the academic major regardless of their pre-entry qualifications (DPE, 2012). Students are required to complete the courses in four academic semesters inclusive of one full semester of industrial training. Given such scenario, assumptions could be made that hearing impaired students would be enjoying better academic success as compared to those previous days where there were limited access and equity in tertiary education. DPE (2012) has stated that there is an increase of awareness among the policy makers and stakeholders, there are still unresolved issues regarding PWDs access to tertiary education. DPE (2012) believes that the absence of academic major selection system may be one of the contributing factors which lead to students’ ineffectiveness
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