Abstract:
This study determined how transition services influence school completion for
learners with ID in Three Kings Special School in Battor, Garden City in Kumasi, and
Twin City Special School in Sekondi-Takoradi, all in Ghana. Specifically, the study
identified (a) available transition services for learners with ID in the curriculum of
basic special schools, (b) ways basic special schools prepare learners with ID towards
completing school, (c) factors that affect parents‟ hopes, desires and expectations
about educating their children with ID, and (d) how ready employers are to engage
learners with ID after their training from basic special schools. A mixed approach,
involving cross-sectional design, was used. Fifty-one participants including 3 head teachers, 17 special education teachers, 25 parents and 6 craftsmen were involved in
the study. Questionnaire and interview guides were used. The quantitative data were
analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Services (SPSS) to generate
frequencies, charts and percentages from the responses gathered while qualitative data
from the interview were transcribed to explain the verbatim quotations from the
respondents. The findings were that; (a) the basic special schools face difficulties in
preparing learners with ID towards non-existing school completion programmes and
transition services in their school curriculum; (b) parents‟ were disappointed that their
children were unable to complete school; (c) even though some employers were
ready to employ students with ID if they possess the required skills and abilities to
work. Recommendations were that schools must provide adequate job training to
learners with ID to make them employable after they leave school; teachers should
continue to teach vocational skills as part of transition services; and schools must
prepare learners with ID towards school completion.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Special Education,
Faculty of Educational Studies, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies, in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Special Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
2020