Accountable education for mentally handicapped pupils who receive their tuition at special schools should lead to self-actualisation. The pupil achieves self-actualisation through, among other factors, the choice of a sui table career, as this helps him to become a useful, self-supporting and competent member of society. However, the training which a pupil attending a special school receives, does not provide him with direct access to training as an apprentice. Pupils often expect that the practical fields in which they specialised at school will lead to their obtaining employment in these fields and even to their being given further training in their chosen fields. Unfortunately, it is a fact that most of these pupils, on leaving school, are appointed in professions that have little or no bearing on their training at school. In this study an attempt to found a pedagogically viable vocational training programme for educable mentally retarded pupils, based on literature studies, is made. The education of these pupils is studied through the perspectives of their restrictions, their potential, their expectations, their needs and their right to vocational training. The interest which parents have in the education of their mentally retarded child, the special school's responsibility in supplying suitable vocational training, as well as the role that employers should play in this regard, are identified and studied. The programme of educational training at special schools in the Transvaal is analysed in the light of literature studies. The identification of mentally handicapped pupils, the curricula for special schools and the syllabuses for the majority of the subjects are discussed and problem areas are identified. An empirical investigation confirms the actuality of the identified problems. Questionnaires sent to all special schools in the Transvaal and schedules completed by a number of employers were designed. The findings are presented and interpreted. Recommendations aimed at a more vocationally oriented education system for pupils at special schools are made. Possible areas for further research are identified. / Skripsie (MEd)--PU vir CHO, 1988

Accountable education for mentally handicapped pupils who receive their tuition at special schools should lead to self-actualisation. The pupil achieves self-actualisation through, among other factors, the choice of a sui table career, as this helps him to become a useful, self-supporting and competent member of society. However, the training which a pupil attending a special school receives, does not provide him with direct access to training as an apprentice. Pupils often expect that the practical fields in which they specialised at school will lead to their obtaining employment in these fields and even to their being given further training in their chosen fields. Unfortunately, it is a fact that most of these pupils, on leaving school, are appointed in professions that have little or no bearing on their training at school. In this study an attempt to found a pedagogically viable vocational training programme for educable mentally retarded pupils, based on literature studies, is made. The education of these pupils is studied through the perspectives of their restrictions, their potential, their expectations, their needs and their right to vocational training. The interest which parents have in the education of their mentally retarded child, the special school's responsibility in supplying suitable vocational training, as well as the role that employers should play in this regard, are identified and studied. The programme of educational training at special schools in the Transvaal is analysed in the light of literature studies. The identification of mentally handicapped pupils, the curricula for special schools and the syllabuses for the majority of the subjects are discussed and problem areas are identified. An empirical investigation confirms the actuality of the identified problems. Questionnaires sent to all special schools in the Transvaal and schedules completed by a number of employers were designed. The findings are presented and interpreted. Recommendations aimed at a more vocationally oriented education system for pupils at special schools are made. Possible areas for further research are identified. / Skripsie (MEd)--PU vir CHO, 1988

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES 1. INTRODUCTION: In view of the great demand for career guidance, it was necessary to give attention to the development and adaptation of psychometric instruments. This led to important development in this area. The Self-Directed Search (SDS) interest questionnaire of J.L. Holland was included in a career guidance programme for black matriculation pupils resulting in the need to investigate the utility of the SDS for black pupils. The study was conducted with this objective in mind. 2. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were as follows: 2.1 PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: 2.1.1 Determining the psychometric suitability of the SDS for blacks with respect to some psychometric and statistical qualities, namely item analysis, means, reliability, intercorrelations of the fields and the factorial structure of the construct. 2.2 SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: 2.2.1 Determining the utility of the SDS in a career guidance set-up for this group, by giving attention to the principles of consistency and congruency; 2.2.2 determining the utility of the SDS as part of a career guidance programme for blacks by using stepwise regression and 2.2.3 determining the distribution of the interests for this group as indicated by the SDS. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE STUDY In this chapter it was necessary to look at the following aspects: • theories of vocational choice and • aptitude, attitude and interest. In the section on theories of vocational choice or career development, reference was made to the theories of Ginzberg and associates. Super, Roe, Hoppock, Holland, decision-making models as well as the behavioristic, sociological and psychoanalitical approaches. Then aptituae, attitude and interest were discussed with special emphasis on the conceptual description, structure and measurement of the concepts. CHAPTER 3: METHOD OF INVESTIGATION In this chapter the following aspects were discussed: • the sample; • the psychometric tests used in the research and • the statistical methods used. A random sample was selected. pupils of Lebowa and Gazankulu. The sample consisted of standard 10 The psychometric tests included in the vocational guidance programme were: • an aptitude test battery (AAT); • an interest questionnaire (SDS) and • the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes (SSHA). Finally the statistical methods were discussed, namely item analysis, means ana standard deviations, correlations, factor analysis, procedures to determine consistency and congruency, stepwise regression and distribution of SDS-codes. CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS In summary it is clear that the results in general give an indication that the SDS has utility with blacks. The item analysis of the 228 items indicated that only 15 items needed revision. The means indicated that there is no notable difference between this and other samples. The reliability coefficients are satisfactory and are good in comparison with the results obtained by Holland and others. The intercorrelations between the six personality types confirmed relationships as described by Holland. The factor analysis results indicated that the SDS has a definite structure. Procedures conducted to determine consistency and congruency as defined by Holland confirmed the use of the concepts. The Realistic, Enterprising and Investigative fields were identified as contributing to the prediction of academic achievement. It was also indicated that most of the pupils resemble the Social personality type as defined by Holland. CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION In summary the conclusion can be made that the SDS has utility for use with black pupils in a vocational guidance situation. / Thesis (MA)--PU vir CHO, 1988

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES 1. INTRODUCTION: In view of the great demand for career guidance, it was necessary to give attention to the development and adaptation of psychometric instruments. This led to important development in this area. The Self-Directed Search (SDS) interest questionnaire of J.L. Holland was included in a career guidance programme for black matriculation pupils resulting in the need to investigate the utility of the SDS for black pupils. The study was conducted with this objective in mind. 2. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were as follows: 2.1 PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: 2.1.1 Determining the psychometric suitability of the SDS for blacks with respect to some psychometric and statistical qualities, namely item analysis, means, reliability, intercorrelations of the fields and the factorial structure of the construct. 2.2 SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: 2.2.1 Determining the utility of the SDS in a career guidance set-up for this group, by giving attention to the principles of consistency and congruency; 2.2.2 determining the utility of the SDS as part of a career guidance programme for blacks by using stepwise regression and 2.2.3 determining the distribution of the interests for this group as indicated by the SDS. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE STUDY In this chapter it was necessary to look at the following aspects: • theories of vocational choice and • aptitude, attitude and interest. In the section on theories of vocational choice or career development, reference was made to the theories of Ginzberg and associates. Super, Roe, Hoppock, Holland, decision-making models as well as the behavioristic, sociological and psychoanalitical approaches. Then aptituae, attitude and interest were discussed with special emphasis on the conceptual description, structure and measurement of the concepts. CHAPTER 3: METHOD OF INVESTIGATION In this chapter the following aspects were discussed: • the sample; • the psychometric tests used in the research and • the statistical methods used. A random sample was selected. pupils of Lebowa and Gazankulu. The sample consisted of standard 10 The psychometric tests included in the vocational guidance programme were: • an aptitude test battery (AAT); • an interest questionnaire (SDS) and • the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes (SSHA). Finally the statistical methods were discussed, namely item analysis, means ana standard deviations, correlations, factor analysis, procedures to determine consistency and congruency, stepwise regression and distribution of SDS-codes. CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS In summary it is clear that the results in general give an indication that the SDS has utility with blacks. The item analysis of the 228 items indicated that only 15 items needed revision. The means indicated that there is no notable difference between this and other samples. The reliability coefficients are satisfactory and are good in comparison with the results obtained by Holland and others. The intercorrelations between the six personality types confirmed relationships as described by Holland. The factor analysis results indicated that the SDS has a definite structure. Procedures conducted to determine consistency and congruency as defined by Holland confirmed the use of the concepts. The Realistic, Enterprising and Investigative fields were identified as contributing to the prediction of academic achievement. It was also indicated that most of the pupils resemble the Social personality type as defined by Holland. CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION In summary the conclusion can be made that the SDS has utility for use with black pupils in a vocational guidance situation. / Thesis (MA)--PU vir CHO, 1988