원예활동프로그램이 정신지체학생의 직업준비기능 향상에 미치는 효과

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a horticultural program on improving the job readiness skills for students with mental retardation. This study was conducted following the one group pretest-posttest experimental design. The subjects were nine students with mental retardation at a special school in Gwangju metropolitan city. The subjects consisted of three male and six female students, ages in range from 19 to 21, with their Iqs ranging from 40 to 52 on the KEDI-Wechsler's total scale. In this study, the job readiness skills were evaluated on the following areas: (a) efficiency in horticulture-relevant skills, (b) profiency in horticulture-relevant skills, (c) manual dexeterity, (d) grip, and (e) pinch strength. A horticulture therapist administered the Horticulture Work Activity Evaluation, a measure of efficiency and proficiency in horticulture-relevant skills, to the subjects at pretest, as well as at posttest. At about one week before and after the implementation of the program, respectively, a diagnostician at G branch office of the Korean Employment Promotion Agency for the Disabled assessed manual dexeterity (using Purdue pegboard), grip (employing grip dynamomentor), and tip, lateral, and palmer pinch strength (using pinch gauge).For this study, the researcher developed a horticulture program based on the vocational area of the Seventh Special School Curriculum with the aim of improving the fine motor skills and proficiency and efficiency in horticulture-related jobs. He implemented the program from April 6 to July 16 in the year of 2004, 80 minutes per session and two sessions a week for a total of 29 sessions. Data were analyzed using the dependent t-test at the significance level of five per cent in one-tailed direction. The results of this study were as follows:First, the horticulture program was found to have significant effects on improving efficiency in horticulture-relevant skills, especially, in making culture soil and putting soil into pot. Secondly, the horticulture program was shown to have significant effects on improving proficiency in horticulture-relevant skills, especially, making culture soil and nursery-plant transplant. Thirdly, the horticulture program was found to significantly increase the manual dexeterity in left hand, in right hand, in both hands, but not in assembly. Fourthly, the horticulture program was not shown to be effective in increasing the group of students with mental retardation from pretest to posttest. Finally, the horticulture program was not shown to be effective in improving pinch strength in terms of tip, lateral, and palmer strength in left and right hands, respectively, with an exception of a significant increase in palmer pinch strength in the left hand.