| dc.description.abstract | The transition from child to adult is a process that has been widely theorized across different countries and in many different domains in academia. Youth transition, as it is known in developmental research, is a time when individual identity is developing and choices regarding future careers are an important part of that process. In many developed countries, it is also a period of time when many youths leave formal education and become disengaged from further education, training, and employment. Students with dis/abilities have been identified as a critical segment of the youth population who are not engaged in education, training, or employment. Therefore transition is increasingly becoming an important political, economic, and educational issue. Within the domain of special education, Western philosophies of adulthood have dominated the discourse around transition, focusing on independent living and self-determination of individuals. The literature review of the topics in this area indicated a need to have a socio-cultural-historical understanding and approach to transition. This study sought to understand the important experiences and resources for students with dis/abilities in Singapore, who were transiting between formal educational settings into vocational educational settings. This research took a socio-cultural-historical perspective on the observed phenomena of transition. The experiences of the study participants were contextualized within the specific cultural milieu that exists in Singapore. Thus the study embedded transition planning and support activities for students with dis/abilities leaving secondary school within the current social, cultural, and historical context that is idiosyncratic to Singapore. The individual student with dis/abilities was considered to be in a transitional phase, moving from adolescence into adult roles. Their individual development was mediated by their cultural and social experiences—both in and out of school contexts—as well as the tools that were offered to them in these contexts. A developmental analysis of the individual cultural background and experiences helped to explain how they identified, as well as described their goals and aspirations. The research strategy was to use ethnographic and phenomenological methods to understand the experiences of three student participants. A series of interviews were conducted with the students, their families, and their teachers. This included studying each student’s biography, examining the relationships between family and school life, the interactions that students had with family and school that influenced the way they saw themselves, their identities, and the actions that they took. In order to understand the school environment, context, and culture, the school leaders were interviewed and ethnographic observations were conducted.. The findings showed that the families emphasized the roles that allowed them to protect their child, teach them about life, and offer a range of resources and experiences to support their child. The students with dis/abilities illustrated a range of different experiences in their journey to become an adult. The experiences that were most important to them were categorized into three areas: (a) their ability to have a choice in their vocational studies; (b) their work and volunteer experiences; (c) their plans for moving ahead in their journey. Schools reportedly developed and implemented inclusive strategies to support students with dis/abilities. However, by contextualizing school practices into the cultural understandings of society, the study found that schools continued to emphasize and perpetuate society’s ableist attitudes. In summary, the experiences of the students with dis/abilities as they transitioned to a vocational educational setting, and embarked on their journey to being an adult, were greatly influenced by both their families and their experiences in school. The discussion includes the need to focus on student voice in order to understand the implications for families and schools seeking to improve the experiences of students with dis/abilities. | |
