Employment core abilities skills among trainees with physical disabilities in special vocational institutions.
Date
2011
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Abstract
This research was conducted to identify the level of Employment Core Abilities Skills (ECAS) and the factors that affect the ECAS of Trainees with Physical Disabilities (TPD) in special vocational training institutions and sheltered workshops in Malaysia. The quantitative survey method, along with the elements of qualitative study approaches, were used concurrently. ECAS was measured using a researcher-made questionnaire adapted from the Moraine Park Technical College’s Core Abilities (MPTC, 2005) containing 37 items in the dimensions of work, communication, learning, cooperation, responsibility, self value and thinking skill. The purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the respondents, and 155 trainees participated in this survey. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. T-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to measure the differences among variables. The measurement model analysis using AMOS 16 was then used to identify the core skills that are important to ECAS. Interviews were conducted to identify the factors that affect the ECAS from 42 respondents comprising the trainees, trainers and management officers of the institutions. Content analysis was used to analyze the narrative texts which represented a verbatim record of the interviews. The study found that the ECAS level among trainees with physical disabilities is at high level, and there are no significant differences in ECAS based on the demographic variables. However, the “work cooperatively” component was found not to be so important to ECAS compared to other skill components. The study shows that the institutional, trainer and peer factors play important role in enhancing the trainee’s ECAS. The trainee’s past experience was found to influence the ECAS. This research proposes several models showing the ECAS and their influencing factors that can be used as a guideline for further study, employment, assessment, teaching and learning of ECAS for TPD in special vocational institutions.
Description
Thesis (PhD (Technical and Vocational Education))
Keywords
Vocational teachers -Training of