Naslov
Education as a Function of an Employment of Adults with Learning Difficulties

Autori
Skočić Mihić, Sanja ; Pinoza-Kukurin, Zorina

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Skup
8 th UKFIET International Conference on Education and Development, Learning and Livelihood

Mjesto i datum
Oxford, Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo, 13.09.2005. - 15.09.2005

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
education; employment; Adults with Learning Difficulties

Sažetak
There have been great changes in the education of students with mental retardation in most of the developed countries in the last 30 years, shifting from segregation to integration. Unfortunately, in this way the main goal of vocational training of these persons, and that is their employment, has not been achieved. In comparison to other persons with a disability, it is the most difficult for persons with mental retardation to get employed. Many authors find that a low rate of employment of persons with mental retardation is a consequence of negative social attitudes towards this group and difficulties connected to the disability. Diminished adaptation abilities of persons with mental retardation as well as inherent cognitive difficulties make the social functioning more difficult, which affects the possibility of employment and keeping the job. We can presume that, on one hand, education in integration influences the development of social skills necessary for life in a social community. But, on the other hand, persons of same age change their understanding through experience and getting to know persons with mental retardation, which encourages an atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance of persons of same age towards these persons and prevents forming and establishing of prejudices. The employers have an important role in employing persons with a disability. They can also take part in forming the measures of vocational training through their observations and opinions about the work of persons with mental retardation. The purpose of this article was to determine difficulties and problems in the field of hiring persons with mental retardation as perceived by the employers and the implications for the education and vocational rehabilitation. The subjects were 154 employers who are decision makers in employment politics in various private and public firms in County Primorsko – goranska, Croatia. In the sample were male and female employers aged 20 – 65 years. The questionnaire «Employers Motivation in Hiring Handicapped» (Kiš – Glavaš, 2002) was applied individually. The reliability of the scale is checked through the inner consistency of the measurement results and the Cronbach-alpha coefficient, which is 0.94, has been calculated. The latent structure of the “MR” scale has been established by the factor analysis, by the method of common factors. Factor analysis indicated the following latent dimensions: (1) Difficulties in Adaptive Behaviours (Factor MR1), (2) Lack of Working Competence (Factor MR2), Lack of Independence (Factor MR3) and Social No acceptance (Factor MR4). The results are discussed in the meaning of the changes that should be implemented in the educational curriculum and professional training for the mentally retarded students with the accent on activities to prevent or reduce the obstacles for their employment as are pointed out by the employers.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Pedagogija, Socijalne djelatnosti

POVEZANOST RADA