지역사회중심 전환교육활동이 정신지체학생의 적응행동기술과 자기결정능력에 미치는 효과

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of community-based transition activities on improving the adaptive behavior skills and self-determination of students with mental retardation. A total of 88 students (44 elementary students and 44 middle school students) participated in this study; 44 students (21 elementary students and 23 middle students) were assigned to the experimental group and the other 44 students (21 elementary students and 23 middle school students) to the control group. The community-based transition activities, the independent variable of this study, comprised the five content areas, including self-management, communication, resource utilization, economic life, and leisure. An average of six tasks for each area were selected as community-based transition activities in which the students of the experimental group were involved. A total of 30 sessions, an average of 2-3 sessions per week for 15 weeks, were held during which six experimental students performed tasks relevant to each transition activity in a group with two assistants. Students in the control group did not receive any treatment during the experimental period. Dependent variables of this study were adaptive behavior skills and self-determination. KISE-SAB for measuring adaptive behavior skills and ARC's Self-Determination Scale-Adolescent Version for measuring self-determination abilities were administered to both the experimental and control groups before, as well as after the implementation of transition activities. Data were analyzed using independent-sample t tests for checking the equivalency between the experimental and control groups at pretest and three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for determining the effects of the transition activities, school level (elementary vs. middle school), and gender on the adaptive behavior skills and self-determination abilities of students with mental retardation. This study found the statistically significant effect of community-based transition activities on increasing the level of adaptive behavior skills of students (especially, middle school students) with mental retardation. This study also found the significant effect of such activities on enhancing the self-determination abilities of students with mental retardation. These results indicated the possibilities that students with mental retardation, even those at elementary level, could improve the adaptive behavior and self-determination by participating in community-based transition activities.