Career Choice in Pupils with Special Educational Needs Comparison of Case Studies

Career choice of pupils – lot of factors influence Special problems are faced by pupils with special

educational needs (SEN) In the research project „Special educational needs in the

context of the Framework Educational Programme“ we focused on the issue of professional aspirations of pupils with SEN

Our goal - among others - to identify the specificity of the choice in children with SEN, to describe the protective and risk factors of the choice.

The research questions aim among others to determine ‘what is the role of school in professional aspirations of pupils in selected cases’

In this paper we outline the methodology of (this phase) research and compare school intervention in three case studies.

Atiner, May 2009

Atiner, May 2009

Researcher

School psychologist

s

Interviews with pupils: April, June, October 2007, January, April 2008

Interviews with parents:April, October 2007, January 2008Interviews - teachers and school counsellors: October 2007Documents/plan of school guidance centre, certificates, family case history...

Test of professional aspirations (Holland)

Study, analysisinterviews

Study, analysis

Bob - 15.4 years old , one sister, mother works as a clerk, father is a technician. They live in a 3-room flat in urban residential area together with a grandmother. Large school in the residential area, his achievement was higher average, he had a status of an integrated pupil - ADHD, dyslexia and dysorthographia. His interests included machines, cars, planes and modelling (with father), he liked drawing.

Ondra - 14.3 years old , three siblings. His mother works as an operator at the post office, the father is an engine driver. .. a 3-room flat in an urban residential area. The boy attended a large school in the residential area, his achievement was lower average, he had a status of an integrated pupil with verbal classification in languages (for dyslexia, dysgrafia and graphomotor ineptitude). Following a disagreement with the school ,the boy was on his parents´ request transferred to a special class for children with dyslexia in a different school in the city for his last year. His interest included computer games, partly also sport and fishing.

Yan -14.4 years old, three siblings, they all live with their mother in another family. Romany, he lives with his father and a step-mother. Neither the mother or father of the boy worked, they completed primary education. Three people lived in one-room flat on social benefits. Yan attended a middle-sized elementary school in the city centre with standard educational programme where almost 100% of pupils were Romany. Yan´s achievement was worse average with frequent absences and a tendency to repeat years; nevertheless at school he was considered one of the ‘better’ pupils. He was treated by neurologists for impaired colour perception, chronic headache, and wrong body posture.

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Selected cases are compared in the following

areas:

attitude of the school and family to mutual cooperation,

educational, organisational and counselling activities of the school in the area of professional aspirations of pupils.

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Atiner, May 2009

Complicating external factors: Housing, location of school,

economic situation, other obligations of the

pupil, health of parents, etc.

School:Protective, fact-finding, educational, formative, counselling support

Other sources of support:Institutional – grants, child guidance centre and other subjectsPersonal – friends, acquaintances, etc.

Protective factors

Family:Financial, fact-finding, cognitive, emotional, practical support

PupilPhysical and mental healthAbilities and intelligenceInterests and focusEmotion, motivation and effortSchool achievementOther personality traits (independence, self-confidence, etc.)

choice

Risk factors

External support

communicators with the school were mothers, the fathers stayed in the background

In the Bob case: trust, cooperation Ondra case: distrust, distance, Yan case: transfer of responsibility

the mutual expectations of the role school-family are different

We asked both parties (teacher and mother) the question:To what extent should the school interfere in the choice? We offered the scale 0 to 10 (where 0 stands for Should not interfere at all, 10 means The choice is the business of the

school).

Bobs´mother: 8 teacher 2Ondras´mother 2 teacher 5Yans´mother 10 teacher 5

Atiner, May 2009

BOB case:

The school attitude: the parents are competent and sensible, they are able

to look after the boy themselves, it is not necessary to intervene very much, we are available if they need us.

The mother´s attitude:Give us advice and tell us what is suitable for Bob, you know him

well, so help us protect him’.

Atiner, May 2009

Ondra´s case: The relationships between the family and school

were rather reserved, the mother expected only information and if appropriate the opinion, definitely she expected the boy to enjoy certain advantages regarding his handicap.

The view of the teachers: if the mother feels she can see to everything herself, it does not make sense to intervene, if she wants, we are here to help.

The mother´s attitude indicated that: ‘I will take the school´s opinion and I expect they will respect his handicap and provide information, but I know my son best and I am able to choose the best for him.’

Atiner, May 2009

Yan´s case: The school took over initiative, as it was standard

treatment of pupils with social disadvantage. The view of the school: we have to appreciate

the parents´ interest in their son, we have to help as much as we can, give Yan a chance.

The parents´ expectations can be characterised as following: ‘Tell us what we should do and we will do that, if we can.’

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BOB ONDRA YAN

Family-school relationships Excellent, consensus Neutral, disagreement Good, consensus

Parents´ expectations of the school

Medium to high(support, information, advice)

low(respect for handicap, information)

high(taking over responsibility)

Parents´ activity – the extent of cooperation with school

high low medium

Role of school Fact-finder, counselling (for those interested),educational,supportive

Fact-finder, educational Fact-finder, counselling for all pupils, educational, protective, intervening

Influence of school medium (emotional support, advice, information)

low (information) significant (offers for studies, information, concessions…)

Activities of school Discussions for pupils, excursions, noticeboards, school markets, individual counselling

Discussions for pupils, excursions, noticeboards, school markets, individual counselling

Discussions for pupils, parents, filling in forms, seeking possibilities for education of Romany pupils (grants), individual counselling,excursions

Treatment of pupils with handicap

More time, offer of individual counselling

More time, offer of individual counselling

Almost all pupils have a social handicap – assistants involved, individual work with each pupil

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In all our schools: Education for choice - included in the curriculum only in the last grade (in different teaching subjects) :

Not even in one of the cases the education had a significant influence on the choice.

Ondra: ‘We went through a small white brochure, there I chose... The school counsellor

told us that those working indoors have an easier job because they don´t get cold.’

All our schools offered service ‘above standard’ - psychological examination and counselling, - for a limited number of pupils (different in Yans´school – role of teacher assistants, seeking opportunities for Roma pupils… parent education etc.).

For pupils with SEN schools offered only ‘more time’ and psychological service

Teachers are not informed about handicaps and contraindications

Parents have different expectations of the school: information; complete counselling service; preparation for entrance exams; even emotional support…. –it must get clear.

Atiner, May 2009

Thank you for your attention

Atiner, May 2009