Pathways to higher education in Ireland: examining the experiences of students with disabilities

Author(s):

Michael Shevlin(presenting / submitting)Aoife Mary O'Brien(presenting)

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

04. Inclusive Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

04 SES 07 C, Characterising Children with Special Educational Needs

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-09

17:15-18:45

Room:

429.Oktatóterem [C]

Chair:

Sally Elton-Chalcraft

Contribution

Background to Study

Policies designed to widen societal participation for people from marginalised groups are an established feature of the international landscape (Council of Europe, 2006; United Nations, 1993). Irish policies targeting educational access for marginalised groups have developed rapidly over the past couple of decades and in particular access initiatives facilitating participation in higher education which were originally targeting at socio-economically disadvantaged groups have been extended to include people with disabilities (Government of Ireland, 2001). Internationally, there is considerable evidence that there has been a significant increase in the numbers of people with disabilities participating in higher education (OECD, 2003; Wagner et al., 2006). Participation rates in higher education for students with disabilities have also increased in Ireland (AHEAD, 2005, 2010), however, as noted in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report (2011), Ireland does not have an established national policy on transition for students with disabilities to higher education. National targeted access initiatives have helped to establish a support infrastructure within higher education including a supplementary admissions system (DARE, 2011) and a network of access and disability officers across higher education institutions.

One of the biggest challenges facing all students on transition to higher education is concerned with the significant changes in teaching, learning and assessment encountered (Yorke, 2007; Yorke & Longden, 2008). Social integration into higher education environments is recognised as a critical factor in ensuring successful transition and retention for all students including those with disabilities within the educational setting (Harrison, 2006; Hultberg, Plos, Hendry, & Kjellgren, 2009; Yorke & Longden, 2008). Losing established friendship groups and social networks is perceived to be a major challenge in transition for students with DISABILITY (Cameto, Levine & Wagner, 2004) and stereotypical reactions to disability among student peers without disabilities has been reported as a major fear of students with disabilities (Marriott, 2008)

Research Questions:

This study focused on the transition experiences of students with disabilities from secondary to higher education. The key research questions comprised:

What are the access and progression pathways for students with disabilities moving from compulsory education to higher education institutes?
What are the roles of educational institutes, individuals and health services in the preparation of students with disabilities for this progression?
What are the experiences of students with disabilities in accessing and progressing to further and higher education?
What major issues and barriers arise with regards to access, progression and transition?

Theoretical Perspective

The theoretical framework for the research was informed by a psychological perspective as the theories of Bronfenbrenner (1979) and Lazarus and Folkman (1987) guided the view of inclusion from a person-centred approach (e.g., ecology of development, stress & coping).

Method

The study used a qualitative approach to gather the views and experiences of young people progressing from compulsory school to higher education. To answer the key research questions the research was planned in distinct, but related, phases. Phase One: Literature review, consultation with national experts So as to contextualise the research in an appropriate empirical and policy context, both nationally and internationally, desk-based research was conducted in order to identify key research issues for exploration during the fieldwork stage. To confirm and consolidate the desk-based literature review, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 key personnel and experts from statutory and non-statutory bodies involved in the development and direction of access policies at the national level. Phase Two: Focus groups To help further identify topic areas or questions for subsequent interviews with students in the pre-transition phase of the research, four focus group interviews were conducted comprising 14 participants who had already made the transition to higher education. Themed areas of questions relating to ‘current experience’, ‘previous school experience’, ‘feelings and emotions’ and ‘rights’ were explored with the participants. The interviews and focus groups confirmed that the questions planned for the subsequent interviews with pre-transition students were appropriate and sufficiently focused. So as to gain an understanding of the ‘professional voice’, four focus groups comprising 28 participants were conducted with relevant personnel from the higher education sector. Issues relating to access, transfer, and progression were explored in thematic areas (e.g. outreach activities, admissions systems and procedures, teaching, learning, and assessment). Phase Three: Student interviews: pre- and post-transition Forty schools were contacted to determine their interest in participating in the project and 20 schools agreed to participate in the pre and post transition phases of data collection, a total of 23 student interviews took place (including one parent who was interviewed as a proxy for one student who had severe and profound disability). Phase Four: Professionals at pre-transition Interviews were also conducted with 28 educational professionals, such as a guidance counsellor, resource teachers, and principals identified as having an important role in the transition planning for these students.

Expected Outcomes

Key themes emerging from the findings: • pathways: making choices, access, and progression Making choices is a complex process, which requires time and is influenced by a number of interrelated factors. Firstly, choice making is influenced by access routes; availability and suitability of courses; and academic requirements. Secondly, for some students, disclosure of their disability was another factor not only in their choice of college and course, but also a choice in itself. Finally, transport, the availability of accommodation, and the accessibility of the college buildings both in terms of physical design and welcoming atmosphere, were relevant factors in choice making. • resources and supports Schools were generally regarded by students with disabilities as positive environments, with teachers who were open and approachable. While guidance counsellors provided individualised support, there was little evidence that schools were proactive in developing transition planning at an early stage in the school career of students with disabilities. Students with disabilities reported that their parents and families were very involved in supporting their decisions regarding post-school options though there was limited evidence of formal engagement by parents with school professionals in this process. • student experience Students with disabilities were looking forward to their post-school education and the opportunity to have a ‘fresh start’, involving assuming more adult responsibilities. Once in their new institution, some students with disabilities were anxious about the changes they encountered in teaching, learning and assessment, and their ability to keep up with the volume and pace of work in the new setting. However, other students appreciated changes in the learning environment, such as delivery, class size and multiple modes of assessment. The findings from this study will be considered within the international context of transition for students with disabilities to higher education and implications for policy and practice discussed.

References

Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) (2010) Survey on Participation Rates of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education for the Academic Year 2009/10, Dublin: AHEAD Education Press. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). Ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Cameto, R., Levine, P. and Wagner, M. (2004) Transition planning for students with disabilities, A special topic report of findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), California: SRI International. Council of Europe (2006) Action plan to promote the rights and full participation of people with disabilities in society: improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in Europe 2006– 2015, France: Council of Europe Publishing. Dee, L. (2006) Improving transition planning for young people with special educational needs, England: The Open University Press. Dewson, S., Aston, J., Bates, P., Ritchie, H. and Dyson, A. (2004) Post-16 transitions: A longitudinal study of young people with special educational needs: wave two, research report RR582, England: Department for Education and Skills. Gibson, S. (2012) Narrative accounts of university education: Socio-cultural perspectives of students with disabilities, in Disability & Society, 27, 353-369. Higher Education Authority (HEA) (2010b) National plan for equity of access to higher education 2008 – 2013: Mid-term review, Dublin: Higher Education Authority. Lazarus, R. S. & Folkman, S. (1987).Transactional theory and research on emotions and coping. European Journal of Personality, 1(3), 141-169. Newman, L., Wagner M., Cameto, R. and Knokey, A.M. (2009) The post-high school outcomes of youth with disabilities up to 4 years after high school: A report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2),California: SRI International. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2011) Inclusion of students with disabilities in tertiary education and employment, Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Yorke, M. and Longden, B. (2008) The first year experience of higher education in the UK, York: The Higher Education Academy.

Author Information

Michael Shevlin (presenting / submitting)

Trinity College, Ireland

Aoife Mary O'Brien (presenting)

Trinity College Dublin

School of Education

Dublin 1

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