How do job related field experiences affect job readiness

HOW DO JOB RELATED FIELD EXPERIENCES AFFECT JOB READINESS IN SECONDARY TRANSITION STUDENTS?UETZ, M. (2011). HOW DO JOB RELATED FIELD EXPERIENCES AFFECT JOB? JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS, 127-145.

Transition Coordinator for River Falls School District River Falls, WIResearch done as part of the Master’s in Education Program requirements through Graceland University Lamoni, IA

Michelle Uetz

Who, What, Where, and When

Michelle Uetz

Who: This research included accommodating, cooperative, and passionate special education staff and students aged 17-19.

What: Action research to determine how job related field experiences affect job readiness in secondary transition students.

Where: River Falls, WI When: Spring 2011

Research Explaining…Why this study?

Michelle Uetz

Richard Luecking and Merdith Gramlich (2003) state that, “work-based learning has been shown to improve student’s self-esteem.” (p. 1).

Physical activity and emotion are crucial to the learning process (Jensen, 2010).

Students with disabilities are either unemployed or underemployed at higher rates than the general population (Halpern, 1996).

Students with disabilities lack the skills needed to obtain a competitive job, or function in socially appropriate ways in society (Halpern, 1996).

The Law

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IDEA 2004 states “the purpose of special education is to prepare [students] for further education, employment, and independent living.” (20 U.S.C. 1400 (33) (c) (1)).

Methods

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Pre-Survey: Students - 6 students CD, EBD, LD Case Managers of the students To gain a baseline of student’s confidence in community and work based

skills Field Experience Survey to Area Transition Teachers Post-Survey

Students - 6 students CD, EBD, LD Case Managers of the students To obtain date in regard to change in student’s confidence in community

and work based skills

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Michelle Uetz

Field Experiences

Michelle Uetz

Instruction and Practice 1.5 hours per week (One Block, One Day a Week) Ask for an application, fill it out, and turn it in Find jobs using the local newspaper at the public

library Visit Workforce Resource Center and know what

services they provide Visit City Hall and know what services they provide

Post- Survey

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Students – 6 CD, EBD, LD Case Managers of the Students Same survey as the Pre-Survey Surveys were scored using double-blind

methods

Survey to area transition teachers

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Purpose:Establish data regarding community-based field experiences in the area, and the attitudes of area transition teachers.

Data Analysis:

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Constant comparative method Each new piece of data was compared to existing

data, looking for similarities and differences to create data categories

Triangulation to provide validity of the research Three different types of data: pre & post-surveys

of students, pre & post-surveys of case managers and observation

Results: Pre-Survey

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Pre-Survey Average: Students 18.8 of 35 Case Managers 18.8 of 35

Results: Post-Survey

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Post-Survey Average: Students 22.1 of 35 Case Managers: 26.8 of 35

Comparative Results

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Increase of 3.3 percent for students self assessment and an increase of 8 percent on the case manager assessment.

Transition Teacher Survey

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Four of the eight teachers returned the surveys. All four teachers felt that community based field

experiences have a significant positive effect on students.

The teachers stated that: Community based field experiences were real world

practice and created supports for the students. The most common experiences provided to students

by teachers are job related.

Conclusions

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Field Experiences Work! While gas prices rise, budgets are cut,

and teachers get larger case loads this research has shown the importance and benefit of bringing students out into the community for job related field experiences.

Benefits

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With the increase of confidence in this small sample, and short amount of time, it is reasonable to predict that with more field experience, would come more confidence and job readiness.

The field experience and surveys made the students more aware of the skills they needed for job readiness and their perceived level of functioning in those skills.

What’s Next in This Research?

Michelle Uetz

The same research with a control group staying in the school and an experimental group participating in the field experiences.

A larger sample with more diversity in disability.

References

Michelle Uetz

Halpern, A. (1996). An instructional approach to facilitate the transition of high school students with disabilities into adult life. . Retrieved 11 05, 2010, from http://idea.uoregon.edu/%7encite/documents/techrep/tech24.html

IDEA. (2004). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. United States Government.

Jensen, E. (2010). Principles of Brain-Based Learning. Retrieved 11 05, 2010, from Jensen Learning: http://www.jensenlearning.com/principles.php