The experience of adolescents and parents before, after, and in the process of redirection into the Adapted program of education with lower educational standard

摘要

This diploma paper studies the experience of adolescents and their parents where the adolescents were redirected from the regular school program into the Adapted program of education with lower educational standard. Individuals with mild intellectual disability are typically characterised by reduced learning abilities, but in the adapted learning environment they are able to achieve basic school aims. Due to extensive learning difficulties such students are unable to follow the regular school program, which is why they are schooled, or are later redirected into the Adapted program of education with lower educational standard. If the students are redirected later, learning difficulties and failure in the field of education increase, which can cause behavioural and emotional problems, as well as have an important role on students' self-respect. Due to constant failure the students may develop fear of school, and consequently dislike of learning or of school in general. Emotional tension and distress related to school can cause psychosomatic problems or disorders in students. But learning failure extends beyond the scope of student's perception of school alone. It also affects how students spend their free time and their social relations in the broader and narrow environment. This research studies four students, who were redirected into the Adapted program of education with lower educational standard. It is a case study which provides an insight into the experience of parents and their children in the process of redirection into the above mentioned program. To obtain the research data we used the half-structured interview. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The transcript was then summarized and paraphrased and then analysed in accordance with elements of qualitative text analysis. The research shows that the students felt unsuccessful in the regular school, having difficulties in their relations with peers and teachers, as well as spending a lot of time for their school work. Their parents’ observations were similar, reporting about various behavioural and emotional problems of their children. After the redirection both the students and their parents noted that they had less learning difficulties, the students' well-being improved along with their attitude to school and relations with teachers and students. This research can help understand the problems of students with learning difficulties that are, despite effort and assistance, unable to achieve minimal learning standards. The experience of students and parents is a source of information to those parents and teachers who are dealing with the process of redirection into the Adapted program of education with lower educational standard.