EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS OF LEARNERS WITH DOWN SYNDROME AT HILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL IN KAMPALA DISTRICT
Table of Contents
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW… 16
Employability skills taught to learners in School 16
Using employability skills by Persons with Down syndrome. 23
Importance employability skills to learners with DS. 27
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY.. 31
Sample Structure and Sample size. 33
Data Collection Methods and Instruments. 34
Data Processing and Analysis. 39
Limitations and Delimitation of the study. 39
Appendix A: Interview Guide for Teachers / Head Teacher. 44
Appendix B: Interview Guide for DS. 44
Appendix C: Observation Check list 44
Appendix D: Krejcie and Morgan Table. 46
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Introduction of the study
The purpose of this study is to examine the development of employability skills for learners with Down syndrome. In this chapter key aspects of the study are addressed which include; historical background, conceptual background, theoretical background, problem identification, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, study scope, and the significance of the study.
Background of the study
The estimated incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,100 live births worldwide. Each year, approximately 3,000 to 5,000 children are born with this chromosome disorder. The quality of life of people with Down syndrome can be improved by meeting their health care needs, including regular check-ups with health professionals to monitor mental and physical condition and to provide timely intervention be it physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, counselling or special education. Individuals with Down syndrome can achieve optimal quality of life through parental care and support, medical guidance, and community based support systems such as inclusive education at all levels. This facilitates their participation in mainstream society and the fulfillment of their personal potential (UNESCO, 2017).
The Victorian physician Dr John Langdon Down in 1866, identified a specific group of patients whose characteristics were similar in character. They had upward slanting eyes, flattening of the back of the head and poorly controlled and fissured tongues. Nobody had identified this special group previously, and over the next 20 years the word “Mongolian” was used to describe people we would now call people with Down’s syndrome. In 1961 nineteen international experts, including his grandson Norman, wrote jointly to the Lancet suggesting the name should be changed to Down’s syndrome. At the request of the People’s Republic of Mongolia, the World Health Organization adopted the recommendation in 1965 and Down’s syndrome was then to become a universally accepted descriptive term.
For many years people with any form of disability including Down syndrome are referred to as misfits in society and this therefore, did not give priority in education and as well as chance for employment. The perception of the general population in history has challenged persons with disabilities including those with Down syndrome (Allan, 2010). Globally, persons with Down syndrome are disproportionately represented among the unemployed youth. Their exclusion is often directly linked to their disability. One of the main reasons for their unemployment has been widely acknowledged as lack of skills that can allow them to live productive and meaningful lives. This has been primarily because due to long standing discrimination and little attention given by the government to people with Down syndrome who have been assumed not to have the right skills (Norwich, 2010).
According to Presson (2013), in most African countries employment for persons with Down syndrome has been a challenge. This challenge can be attributed to a number of issues resulting from Down syndrome like deinstitutionalization. However, there has been enhanced surgical interventions for congenital heart defect, and this has led to an increase in the life of expectancy for individuals with improved positive view of Down syndrome victims especially in countries with an improved medical care. Most of the barriers experienced by people with Down syndrome are manmade. However, aside from the physical barriers, the most difficult barriers for people with Down syndrome are arguably that are those related to relevant employability skills to gain meaningful employment and living independent life. This has thus, made people with Down syndrome to be viewed as people who are supposed to be beggars in the society and the policy makers including the governments has not prioritized skilling people with Down syndrome (Cebula, Moore & Wishart, 2010).
Though the government of most countries in Africa receive funds from donors to invest in skilling people with Down syndrome, there are still many challenges faced by the students with Down syndrome. For instance, some of them face lack of specialists and Para-professionals such as the physiotherapists, pathologists, and sign language interpreters (Bolu-Steve et al., 2017). Adio, & Wajuihian, (2012) reported that in Nigeria the students with Down syndrome are confronted with several challenges in life including coping up with the trauma of a disability. Such students may find it difficult to access several facilities while attending school. After graduation, the students might not be employed because of their disability as a result of Down syndrome (DS). This therefore, puts students with Down syndrome at a disadvantage because of the negative perceptions of the people in the country towards Down syndrome Victims.
The accurate figures of the number of children with DS in Uganda are not established although the number of babies born with DS is estimated to be about 1 in 1,000 births. With a Ugandan’s population of 36 million, this translates to about 36,000 people with Down syndrome in Uganda (Gormley et al., 2011). The National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU) is an umbrella non- governmental organization of persons with disabilities in Uganda formed in 1987. It advocates for equalization of rights of persons with disabilities in Uganda. It works in collaboration with government, NGOs and the local community. The aim of NUDIPU was to bring Persons with Disabilities together, in a common and unified voice, and to break the traditional divisions along medical lines, to raise awareness on problems and issues affecting persons with disabilities. The Vision of NUDIPU is “Dignity for every person with disability, while the mission is “To advocate for the rights of Persons with Disabilities in a unified voice for improved livelihoods (show a reference here where you got the information).
According to the National Policy on Disability in Uganda (2006), the prevalence of disability has been on the increase. The Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) Report (2009/2010), established that 16% (5.5 million people) of Ugandans have a disability. It also indicated that around 10% of children aged between 5-19 years live with some form of disability. And according to the Uganda National Population and Housing Census (2014), the provisional results indicated a marked increase of 8.8% in comparison with the UNHS (2005/6). The UDHS Report (2011) indicated an increase in disability prevalence among children. It was noted that 12% of children aged between 5-9 years had disabilities. In Uganda, according to research done by DOSAU (Down Syndrome Association of Uganda) so far there are 25,409 registered victims with DS. The organization further, indicates that in Uganda the unemployment rate of people with DS has not been viewed as something that requires government’s attention. Uganda generally has high levels of unemployment rate therefore, government ignores people with DS.
The Persons with Disabilities Act, 2006, makes provisions for the elimination of all forms of discriminations against people with disabilities and have equal opportunities. Also it provides for a tax reduction of 15 per cent to private employers who employ ten or more persons with disabilities either as a regular employees, apprentice or as a learner on a full time basis. The Local Government Act, 1997, the district local governments, in collaboration with DPOs build the capacity of the representatives of Persons with Disabilities on the District Service Commission to advocate for the rights to employment of persons with disabilities goes further
Conceptual Background
According to the International Encyclopedia of education (2010, employability can be defined as the relative chances of acquiring and maintaining different kinds of employment. while in the encyclopedia, a skill is the ability to carry out a task with determined results often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. The Business dictionary (2020) defines employability as a group of essential abilities that involve the development of knowledge base, expertise level and mindset that is increasingly necessary for success in the modern work place. Employability skills are typically considered essential qualification for many job positions and hence have become necessary for an individual employment success at just about any level with a business environment. Berntson et al., (2008) states that employability refers to an individual’s perception of his or her possibilities of getting new, equal, or better employment. Berntson’s study differentiates employability into two main categories. Actual employability (objective employability) and perceived employability (subjective employability)
Van der Heijde & Van der Heijden, (2005), defined employability skills as the ability to obtain new employment if required, for example, to be independent in the labor market by being willing and able to manage personal employment transitions between and within organizations and continuously fulfilling, acquiring or creating work through optimal use of efforts. Lee Harvey, (2015) also defines employability skills as the ability of a graduate to get a satisfying job, stating that job acquisition should not be prioritized over preparedness for employment to avoid pseudo measure of individual employability. Lee argues that employability is not a set of skills but a range of experiences and attributes developed through higher-level learning, thus employability is not a product but a process of learning. Therefore, when we talk about employability skills, we refer to the process of learning skills such as communication skills, team work, leadership skills, and creative skills, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. The hard skills learned may include, for example, carpentry, building, sewing, cookery and farming. Down syndrome (DS or DNS), also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. Down syndrome can also be defined as a common birth defect that is usually due to an extra chromosome 21 (trisomy 21). Down syndrome causes mental retardation, a characteristic facial appearance, and multiple malformations. It occurs most frequently in children born to mothers over age 35 (Bianchi, 2014)
Bricout, & Bentley, (2000) define Down syndrome as a learning disability caused by an extra copy of all or part of chromosome 21 in all or most cell lines. It is a genetic condition that to an extent is inherited and is present from conception, thus affects development throughout life of a person. Research has shown that children and young people with Down syndrome not only take longer time to learn new skills, but also learn differently in some key areas, benefitting from some teaching strategies that are different to those typically used in education. These include approaches to number skills, to reading, and to speech and language skill as well as deployment of sanctions and rewards in behavior management. Verweij, Oever, Boer, Boon & Oepkes (2012) argued that Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic condition, associated with intellectual disability, and increased risk of concomitant congenital defects, and organic disorders. Despite these risk factors, morbidity estimates that DS life of expectants suggest an increase in near future).
Arguably, if individuals are to succeed in life, particularly in the world of employment, they need employability skills. Whether the government of Uganda has provision for persons with disabilities, it is not clear whether special attention is given to persons with Ds to empower them with employability skills. In Uganda the number of integrated schools is on the rise where learners with severe disabilities including Ds learn together with other learners with less disabilities such as at Hill Preparatory School in Naguru, Nakawa division, Wakiso District. This study focus on Hill Preparatory School to investigate whether persons with DS received the needed employability skills for future employment.
Theoretical background
The study will be underpinned by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (Bandura 1977). According Bandura, behaviors are learned through observation and modeling. His social learning theory posits that children learn by observing the actions of others, including parents and peers. The social learning theory furthermore, indicates that children develop new skills and acquire new information through observations. This theory will be used in examining the developing of employability skills for learners with Ds through Bandura’s theory of observation and modelling by others. It can be asserted that children with Down syndrome are able to learn from their peers behavioral skills that can help them to acquire employability skills.
One the primary strengths of Bandura’s theory is its flexibility to explain differences in a child’s behavior or learning strategies. The theory highlights that children learn in a social context. This reinforces the idea that when there is a change in the child’s environment, the child’s behavior may change as well. For example, a child may have trouble following directions in a relaxed home environment, but have no problems with authority in a stricter school setting. On the other hand, the theory may be limited to support the levels of accountability for actions of children with Ds whether at home or in schools. However, despite the above weakness this theory will still be relevant to the study because the children with Down syndrome also learn in a school environment which has direct influence on how they behave and process information or acquire practicable skills.
Problem Identification
Hill Preparatory started in 1986 with a small section with children with disabilities. Eventually the school started integrating all learners so that there was no isolation or discrimination of learners with disabilities. The school has 470 pupils and follows the national curriculum. Of the 470 pupils, 96 are children with special needs. Most children learn together from Nursery to Primary Seven except those with severe disabilities. Disabilities among the pupils is diverse. The children are assessed on daily basis to find how they are progressing academically. Some teachers are trained how to teach special needs children but the majority are not. However, it is not clear what becomes of these children after the complete school whether they get employed or not. What is not clear is whether the DS pupils received the needed skills for their future employment.
UBOS (2009) Report noted that Uganda is in a trying moment with thousands of graduates who pour onto the streets every year to find jobs. Statistics from the labour department showed that 390000 students who finish tertiary education each year but with only 8000 jobs to fight for. This means that for every one job that is available, there are about 50 people to fill it and all government departments point to this as a serious crisis. UBOS reported that the level of unemployment is very high for the graduates with Down syndrome though they make up 1% of Uganda’s population. UBOS findings indicate that illiterates are more likely to be available for any work than the literates. Uganda’s unemployment rate for the general population stands at 8% and under employment which is mainly prevalent in rural areas, is at 17%.
According to UBOS, (2019) out of the total population of 42,000, of people with Down syndrome in Uganda the level of unemployment stands at 12.4%. This finding therefore indicates that there is high unemployment rate among people with Down syndrome than the able-bodied people. The statistics indicates that majority of people with persons with special needs lack job Down syndrome included do not have either informal or formal employment.
Problem statement
Article 24 of Human Rights Convention of 2006 recognized rights of persons with disability to inclusive education and employment. Persons with Down syndrome just like other able persons have an inalienable right to skilling and employment. However, many learners with Down syndrome in Uganda suffer neglect and rejection and as result miss out education and to gain employability skills which include among many others soft skills such as communication, problem solving, decision making, teamwork and practicable skills like carpentry, cooking, and handcraft.
According to the labor flow figures from the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) and Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS 2017), the labor market in Uganda is very competitive and they stated that most of the people with Down syndrome are not considered to be employable due to stereotype of people with any form of disability in Uganda. While DS have learning needs that demand special attention, they also need employability skills and acceptability for employment in society.
The Uganda Down Syndrome Association (TUDSA), focuses on DS health, specialized schools for DS and skilling mothers to be able to support their DS children. No much emphasis is put on employability skills for learners with DS.
Even though there exist institutions, like Hill Preparatory school it is not clear whether the DS receive the necessary employability skills for their future. At Hill Preparatory persons with DS study with learners who have other disabilities like autism and multiple disabilities. Able bodied learners have their own classes even though there are occasions when the two groups are combined. This study will investigate whether the DS at Hill Prep are able to learn and use the employability skills provided in such a learning environment for their future employment. The researcher hopes that the findings and recommendations of this study could be extrapolated to other schools like Hill Preparatory School in Uganda for employment of learners with Down syndrome.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate whether persons with DS receive and able to use employability skills at Hill Preparatory School –Nakaawa Division (Kampala District).
Study Objectives
The study will be guided by the following objectives:
- To investigate the different employability skills DS learners receive at Hill Preparatory School in Nakawa Division, Kampala District.
- To examine whether the DS learners are able to use the employability skills acquired from Hill Preparatory School.
- To findout the importance of employability skills to learners with DS at Hill Preparatory School in Nakawa Division.
Research questions
- What are the employability skills taught to DS learners at Hill Preparatory School in Nakawa Division?
- To what extent are DS able to use the skills being learned at Hill Preparatory School Nakawa Division?
- How important are employability skills to DS learners of Hill Preparatory School?
Scope of the Study
The Study will focus on persons with DS at Hill Preparatory School, Nakawa division, Wakiso district, Uganda.
Geographical Scope
The study will be carried out in Hill preparatory school in Nakawa division. This school has been selected because it is one of the few schools in Nakawa division which offer inclusive education. Nakawa Division lies in the eastern part of the city, bordering Kira Town to the east, Wakiso District to the north, Kawempe Division to the north-west, Kampala Central Division to the west, Makindye Division across Murchison Bay to the south-west and Lake Victoria to the south.[1] The coordinates of the division are 0°20’00.0″N, 32°37’00.0″E (Latitude:0.333333; Longitude:32.616667). Neighborhoods in the division include Bugoloobi, Bukoto, Butabika, Kiswa, Kiwaatule, Kyambogo, Kyanja, Luzira, Mbuya, Mutungo, Nabisunsa, Naguru, Nakawa, and Ntinda. The average elevation of Nakawa is about 1,083 metres (3,553 ft), above sea level.Respondents. Though Nakawa division has big population there are very schools which offer inclusive education.
Content Scope
The study will be limited to persons with DS, looking at the employability skills acquired through Hill Preparatory School programs, and whether the DS learners are able to use the learned skills for their future in today’s global economy.
Time Scope
The study will focus on the period of the last five years that is from 2015 to 2020. This will good time to assess whether Hill Preparatory School DS graduates get employed or not based on the skills they have learned.
Significance of the Study
The findings of this study are expected to help in various ways.
- One of these will be to shed light on how the best could implement effective and successful vocational skilling of the learners with Down syndrome in Nakawa and Uganda at large.
- The study is hoped to make contribution of new knowledge to the existing knowledge in the vocational skilling practice in the Ministry of Education and Sports District.
- The study is also expected to inform policy makers on how best to eradicate poverty among those with Down syndrome through employing them in varying jobs within the countries.
- The study might help future researchers to investigate other schools with persons with DS paying attention to their getting employability skills for future employment.
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This chapter discusses the reviews of related literature to employability skills and learners with Down syndrome. The purpose of this review is to position this study in the context of related studies of other scholars. It also aims at finding the existing gaps in previous studies which this study hope to bridge.
Employability skills taught to learners in School
Communication is regarded as the most basic skill that a person has had since he first fell into the womb. From this point of view, communication is a product of human being’s survival. It is also a phenomenon that is easily affected by all sorts of developments and changes that have taken place in the way of being. In other words, communication-specific human patients (Knapp, et al., 2013). . Social Human beings can live in harmony and cooperation with other people through communication. It is also possible for a person, who is an individual entity, to have a similarity to this assessment made in relation to communication skills for institutions with a legal personality. Communication is a product of the ways in which corporations, such as human beings, are a legal personality, maintain their assets. In addition, changes in the way communications institutions maintain their assets and changes that are easily, due to the many advantages of communication it is therefore imperative for the children with Down syndrome to be taught communication skills (Wagner, 2014).
Most employees are searching for people who can communicative effectively and concisely in all levels and therefore it is imperative for the children with down syndrome to be taught effective communication to enable them be employable (Flubacher et al., 2017).
According Karlan & Valdivia, (2011) teaching children with down syndrome the skills of team work is essential in enhancing their chances of being self-employed and also at the same time getting a job in case they need one. Lynette, (2015) further states that Teamwork is used across many different industries to increase performance, employee unity and company culture. Companies that must frequently develop new ideas or products using a project-based approach assemble teams in order to diffuse responsibility and to increase the number and diversity of ideas for the project. Team members use teamwork to bounce ideas off of one another before deciding on a development path for a project.
In the explanation of the benefits of team work to employees Khan, & Mashikhi, (2017). further notes When employees work together to accomplish a goal, everyone benefits. For example, team members in the workplace plan ahead and work cooperatively to assign tasks, assess progress, and deliver on time. They have professional discussions during which differing approaches and opinions might be shared and assessed in a respectful manner. Even when certain employees end up with tasks that were not their first choices, jobs get done with limited complaints because it is in the spirit of teamwork and with the overall goal in mind. A leader or manager may often serve as the teamwork facilitator. In this case, team members participate respectfully in discussion,( Odorczyk, 2018).
Teamwork is the backbone of effective communication within a company. When employees work as individuals or independently on projects, they may not readily share knowledge or new information. This lack of communication increases the time it takes to complete projects, tasks or the development of solutions. Teamwork promotes conversation between employees regarding the task at hand, possibly preventing employees from working in opposite directions. For example, if one employee does not communicate that one method of addressing a problem is a dead end, and another employee is still trying to use that method, productivity is lowered. Two working together may also feel more emboldened to ask a third person for advice or input, or to point out what doesn’t make sense in the project, rather than spinning their wheels on something that isn’t working (Lacerenza, C. N., Marlow, S. L., Tannenbaum, S. I., & Salas, E, 2018).
Leadership skill is essential to be taught to the Down syndrome children since it teaches them how to manage and relate with fellow co-workers. This enables the Down syndrome children could be able to start up their own sustainable projects which can enable them improve the quality of their life (Clinton, 2018).
Leadership skills is essential since it enables someone to be responsible and accountable. This idea creates self-discipline which enhances better management of resources teaching leadership to the Down syndrome children will therefore give them the knowledge they need to be able to start up their own projects hence fighting against unemployment amongst the Down syndrome people (Lambert et al., 2013).
Leader’s Ability to Motivate is also of great importance to leadership effectiveness as that of leader’s Ability to Communicate, if a leader has the Ability to Motivate others who are affecting his work than a leader will be effective leader (Gilley, McMillan, and Gilley, 2009), and will bring positive change in an organization. Many studies (Gilley, 2005) showed that there are certain leader’s skills and abilities which are positively associated with successful implementation of change, which includes the leader’s abilities to coach, communicate, motivate, involve others, build teams, and reward, so it is clear that there is a positive link between leaders ability to motivate and leadership effectiveness.
The Children with Down syndrome should be taught the skill of creativity since this is the skills which enables them to learn the environment that they are in and be able to apply these skills. The ability to learn new skills by the Down syndrome children is imperative for them to be able to survive in the increasingly difficult world which is ever changing (Puccio, G. J., Burnett, C., Acar, S., Yudess, J. A., Holinger, M., & Cabra, J. F. (2018). The level of unemployment in the global environment is high for both the Down syndrome children and the non-Down syndrome children and as a result. People including the Down syndrome children need to learn creativity skills to enable them be able to create their own jobs in the highly volatile and competitive Market place (Hughes, D. J., Lee, A., Tian, A. W., Newman, A., & Legood, A. (2018). Children with Down syndrome need to be taught interpersonal skills which is essential to them to enable be able to develop and be self-employed in the future. Interpersonal skills in the cornerstone of the leadership knowledge needed for today’s rapidly evolving management. Interpersonal skills build managers ability to motivate their teams and achieve organization’s Goals. In the rapidly changing organization’s setting (Hughes, D. J., Lee, A., Tian, A. W., Newman, A., & Legood, A. (2018).
Teaching the children with Down syndrome the skills of interpersonal skills is essential in enabling them be great leaders and business entrepreneurs this is further stated by (Feng, J., Zhang, Y., Liu, X., Zhang, L., & Han, X. (2018) who indicates that For many years until this time; in human resource perspective, interpersonal soft skill has been reliably situated as greater as significant requirement for steering successful performance in the division of every work unit. This revolve around and emerge to the quality provides through service. Quality and customer satisfaction are thoroughly associated, quality provides a reinforcement to customers to establish strong connection with the company. This kind of bond in the long track allows companies to understand customers’ expectations and their needs carefully, so the company can increase customer satisfaction; where the company involvements a pleasant customer experience and eliminates unpleasant customer experiences.
Learning is the core purpose of schools. These days: If you can‘t learn, unlearn and relearn, you‘re lost because sustainable and continuous learning is a given of the twenty-first century Every young person must be able to seize learning opportunities throughout life, to broaden her or his knowledge, skills and attitudes, and adapt to an increasingly changing, complex and interdependent world . It isn’t surprising that learning to learn has been described as the key skill of the century
Hard skills
Carpentry skills is a trade and a craft in which the primary the work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction. of buildings, ships, timber, bridges, and concrete work. Carpenters traditionally worked with natural wood. Globally most of the carpenters are male for example in the United States 98.5% of the carpenters are male. Carpenters can easily be self-employed and it is easier for the carpenters to get jobs easily. This is one of the professions which is highly male dominated and it is normally performed by the able-bodied me, (Carpentry, 2018).
In the United Kingdom carpentry is more correctly used to describe the skill involved in first fixing of timber items such as construction of roofs, floors and timber framed buildings i.e. those areas of construction that are normally hidden in a finished building. An easy way to envisage this is that first fix work is all that is done before plastering takes place. Second fix is done after plastering takes place (King & palmer, 2010).
Training of people with Down syndrome in carpentry skills is essential for the development of the country and this enhances the quality of the life of the general population. This has thus enhanced the development of some countries. In the developed world like United States and UK, the government has enrolled children with Down syndrome in technical institutes to learn technical skills to enhance their productivity and self-reliance (Hassall, et al., 2005).
Technical skills is imperative for the development of the country and as such schools have to teach technical skills to enable the children be able to have different knowledge that can enable them be employable. In 2009, 47.7% of Malaysia’s the labor force was between 15 to 24 years of age. Most of these workers (64.1%) were secondary school graduates (Department of Statistics, 2009). As reported in the country’s most recent development plan, many youths (approximately 100,000) enter the job market immediately after completing 11 years of schooling, with only a basic diploma or certificate of education, and lacking any true skills (Government of Malaysia, 2010: The 10th Malaysia Plan). This may negatively impact workers in terms of lowering their prospects for career advancement and may lead workers to change jobs frequently (Smith, Dalton, & Dolheguy, 2004).
Information and communication skills; The evolution of Information systems has a long history however can be specifically traced from the invention of Herman Hollerith’s census tabulator which was Invented to process the 1890 U.S. census this brought the first step in automation and development of the information systems Era. According to Pearlson et al., (2016) the UNIVAC I, was the first computer installed at the U.S. Bureau of the Census in 1951 which helped in administrative duties while in general electric the computers were installed for commercial purposes in 1954 this later paved way for the full scale adoption of personal computers globally in 1970s (Businge, 2015).
Information system has progressed through personal computer era to client server era and currently to enterprise internet, this has been spearheaded by the United States military department since 1945 whose main goal has been to eliminate communication barriers and enable better performance; however, this technological advancement has been adopted by most governments across the globe to help in the improvement of performance (Kim et al., 2009).
According to Ricci et al., (2015) the adoption of internet can be traced back with the invention of the World Wide Web in 1991. This gave way to the adoption of internet in government organizations like in Health, Education and administration globally.
Adoption of computers in Africa can be traced in 1960 with the introduction of the first IBM 1401 data processing system in Johannesburg South Africa which was installed in the IBM Service Bureau and was first unveiled in October 1959 (Dwivedi et al., 2015).
Other African countries started using computers after South Africa especially by the late 1990s most of the government across the sub-Saharan Africa started adopting information systems in the running of the daily activities and as of 2017, Africa had more than 450 million internet users with specific countries like Nigeria individually having 98 million users and Egypt having 49.23 million this has been spear headed by countries to enhance better performance (Ziemba, E. (2017, September).
Toots, M (2016) asserts that the use of information systems by the government has been adopted by countries in East Africa like Kenya in key sectors like education, Health, revenue collection and management of water resources to improve on the efficiency of the government key agencies (Cirera, Lage, & Sabetti, 2016). The adoption of Information systems in Uganda can be traced from the introduction of the first computer ever in Uganda YYYa in 1967 in Ministry of Finance and in 1968, the second mainframe arrived at Makerere University, however, it was not until June 2006 that the Government of Uganda created a Ministry of ICT to enhance the adoption of information systems in the government agencies in Uganda (Ramadani, 2017). This is a vocational skill that is taught in vocational institutions for students to be able to start up their own business since it has a ready market. Almost all the women plaint their hair so it is important skills in enabling the graduates be able to start up their own business that can enable them live together (Lukemeyer, & Smeeding, 2010).
Students when taught vocational skills in hair dressing, they are able to start up their own projects and they become eventually self-employed this helps in reducing the number of unemployed graduates in the country. Hair dressing in this country is one of the hobbies loved by many women so this field is rich in self- employment.
For this reason, those who can be trained in these field make detailed plans and maintain careful oversight during the project to ensure a positive outcome. Therefore it is imperative for the graduates to have this skill so that they are able to be self-employed (Ingstad, 2011).
Using employability skills by Persons with Down syndrome
Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder caused by a failure of the 21st chromosome to separate during cell division and thus changes the development of the body, which includes brain development as well. Due to its specific occurrence, it is not considered a disease but a permanent lifetime condition of a person. This condition is characterized by several psychophysical characteristics which are mostly common for all persons with Down syndrome: poor muscle tone, slanted eyes, round face with a flat profile, short hands, low cognitive functioning. DS is associated with challenges in aspects of cognitive functioning, including verbal processing and executive function (Amado, Serrat, & Valles-Majoral, 2016).
In recent years, there has been a growing tendency both internationally and locally in the direction of adopting an educational approach which can be in position to enable children with Down syndrome, termed ‘inclusion’ in. Inclusion within education implies that children who were formerly trained and educated in special schools are now allowed to attend any ordinary school and participate in classes with their ‘normal’ peers (Lazarus, Daniels & Engelbrecht, 2014).
Throughout the years, the perception of people with Down syndrome individuals has changed with increasing regularity. All too familiar to this group of individuals are the painful and discouraging memories of being referred to as deemed worthless by many in society (Giorcelli, 2012).
In today’s modern culture, individuals with Down syndrome are seemingly thought of as having more to offer to the general public than merely collecting money from the Government or working in professions that are devoid of responsibility and advancement (LaForce, & Kelly, 2012).
Attitudes and perceptions of the people with Down syndrome by the general population have been slow to improve in the workplace. Most because of advancement in technology this has made people with Down syndrome be able to work for themselves and are in position to be better citizens.
People with Down syndrome have a higher level of unemployment than the general population and this has thus affected their self-esteem and productivity. For the largest age group of working Americans in the labor market, 21 to 64 years of age, the employment rate for nondisabled Americans was 82.1% compared to 26.1% for individuals with Down syndrome. It would appear that Americans with Down syndrome are less attractive to employers versus their nondisabled counterparts (Amado, Serrat, & Valles-Majoral, 2016).
The rights of people with Down syndrome has been elevated. Most governments across the Globe have adopted to the UN law of non-discrimination against person with any form of disability. Companies are no longer permitted to take discriminatory action against a potential employee because he/she has Down syndrome. There many Non-government organizations that fights for the rights of people with Down syndrome there by enabling them to live their life without discrimination and being subjected to suffering.
The mindset of people towards people with Down syndrome has been subtly changing towards people with Down syndrome. This has thus enabled the people with Down syndrome to be to enroll to technical institutions to learn marketable skills that can enable them to be in position to gain self-employment.
Unlike in the past were people with Down syndrome were viewed as beggars in the streets currently some of the people with Down syndrome in the developed countries like in Europe they are able to work in large corporations and also work in technical jobs like automobile manufacturing. In addition to that they are different programs that the government is running for people with Down syndrome so that they can be able to access finance from banking institutions and start up their own employment programs.
According to Fredrick, (2018) lack of access to finance because of discrimination from financial institutions people with Down syndrome have not been able to access to finance from financial institutions this has thus hindered their ability to start up their own vocational projects which could have enabled them to be self-employed.
It may be that larger corporations do not want the negative publicity of being unsympathetic to individuals with a down syndrome. They may believe that it would cost the company less to hire the occasional disabled person even if he/she cannot pull his/her own weight. A larger company could absorb the decreased production from these individuals much easier than could a small business where every employee makes a big difference in the company’s profits (Mueser ., 2016).
Because the goal of most businesses is to make a profit, hiring someone with Down syndrome could potentially be costly in two ways. First, the person with a down syndrome must be qualified and able to carry out the duties of the position so that the company does not lose money. Second, the accommodations for the disabled person must not cost the company too much. For example, a company housed in a two-story building may need to spend thousands of dollars in renovations to accommodate someone in a wheelchair (Doyle, Hourigan, & Fanagan, 2016).
Most people with Down syndrome find it hard to access finances to enable them enroll to institutions so that they can gain the skills that can enable them be self-employed. Discrimination among people with Down syndrome has worked to the detriment of these people’s well-being.
Most organizations that provide training programs to students still shun away the students with Down syndrome, insisting that these students are expensive to sustain. This has affected the ability of the students with Down syndrome to get employed. Satcher (2012) also suggested that employers were most concerned about the cost of providing accommodations, particularly accommodations needed by job applicants. Although the cost of the accommodations needed by down syndrome employees, on average, are minimal, companies still see this as a barrier to hiring individuals with disabilities.
Importance employability skills to learners with DS
Change in the education of children with Down syndrome has brought about reactions and subsequent shifts in the field of education regarding learners with Down syndrome. Since communication and reasoning are of the key challenges faced by the children with Down syndrome it is therefore imperative to analyze different ways of enhancing the communication skills of the individuals with Down syndrome (Giorcelli, 2012).
Studies have shown that different aspects of effective communication, such as high frequency, openness and accuracy, performance feedback, and adequacy of information are essential to better academic performance of an individual they further discovered that in a work environment organizational policies and procedures are positively related to employees’ feelings of happiness in the work place and job performance (Neves & Eisenberger, 2012).
A strong relationship has been found between effective communications, and easy of learning among the students in schools. Therefore students with Down syndrome to have a good learning must learn to develop a strong communication (Neves & Eisenberger, 2012). Positive learning capabilities has been found to improve student sense of well-being, and this increases confidence of the students there by leading to better performance of students (Eisenberger & Stinglhamber, 2011; Neves & Eisenberger, 2012; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002).
The most conscientious of teachers recognize that bi-directional communication provides for avenues to recognize teacher contribution and build organizational commitment. Studies show that open two-way communication contributes to happy students, who are more successful in all aspects of life (Anchor, 2009). Various studies have resulted in the supposition that learners develop beliefs concerning their value to the learning process which leads to better performance of the learners in the learning process (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002; Shore & Shore, 1995).
Another aspect of parent experiences that has been examined in parent-child interactions involves the relationship between parent perception of child development and parent responsivity. Parent responsivity is characterized by contingent responses to child engagement that foster warmth and growth through learning. Most of the studies indicates that proper communication between a child who has Down syndrome and parents begins at home and this has an influence into the learning ability of the child (Baird, Haas, McCormick, Carruth, & Turner, 1992; Sterling & Warren, 2014), parents may adapt to a more facilitative style to engage their child and foster increased development (Sterling & Warren, 2014). Results showed that mothers of children with DS increased their facilitative style with children as they aged.
According to Mayer (2005) the learning environment for the students is essential in enhancing the communication skills of the students with Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome should be given the enhancement to be able to move and talk in the way that they like as this will enhance their communication skills in the long run. The freedom of movement and choice of activities according to their interests and wishes. Considers a well prepared learning environment one of the main characteristics of good teaching which positively influences the development of cognitive, social and methodical competences of all the students in the said class. Activity areas offer learning materials (mathematics area, reading corner, writing area, building blocks space, and art area) are placed in different areas in the classroom in a logical manner (noisy areas are separated from areas where quiet activities take place), this enhances communication skills among the students with Down syndrome.
Learning and teaching strategies which encourage communication skills in children with Down syndrome In developing learning and teaching strategies in order to encourage communication skills in a child with Down syndrome the starting point is the knowledge about the importance of interpersonal communication which a Down syndrome establishes with his peers and adults in school and understanding of the way the boy learns. Student interpersonal communication supports the development of communication skills of all students in a natural way. According to Reardon (1998), interpersonal communication is changed according to the participants knowing each other. Taking the stated fact into account, in order to promote and make the development of interpersonal communication in class as easy as possible, the students are explained the speech difficulties which the child with Down syndrome encounters.
A person’s ability to communicate influences their level of participation which ultimately impacts their quality of life, thus their daily ability to partake and communicate in workplace activity affects their social participation (Buntinx & Schalock, 2010; ICD10Data, 2012). There is much research into the barriers to participation and what can be done to address these barriers (Schalock et al., 2010). Adults with intellectual disability, which includes individuals with Down syndrome, often present with communication difficulties which may impact how they communicate in the workplace (Trembath, Balandin, Stancliffe, & Togher,2010).
Personal and employment opportunities allow for a person with Down syndrome’s communication skills to develop (Trembath et al., 2010). Employment can be defined as a person being involved in activity for a set period of time. However, the level of communication and understanding of an individual with Down syndrome may prevent people from hiring him/ her even though each individual with Down syndrome has a right to employment. Although there is no set figure the employment rate of individuals with Down syndrome is described as low (Jans, Kaye, & Jones, 2011). Vocational training, Speech-Language Therapy, adequate job placement and adaptations in the workplace have been suggested as helpful in enhancing the ability of the individual with Down syndrome to communicate effectively in their workplace (Battaglia & McDonald, 2010).
Summary
- After a thorough review of the existing literature regarding employability skills and Learners with Down syndrome…the researcher concludes that in Uganda we have scanty literature on DS learners and no serious study has been done about their employability skills. The Uganda Down Syndrome Association (TUDSA), focuses on DS health, specialized schools for DS and skilling mothers to be able to support their DS children. No much emphasis is put on employability skills for learners with DS. In the rest of Africa, for example in Kenya, the literature found suggests a similar practice as in Uganda currently’
- Most of the literature found about employability skills and DS learners is majorly from developed countries outside of Africa such as US, UK and Asian countries. In those countries, research indicates that DS receive the needed attention for their future employment rights from early childhood to adulthood. The gaps in the existing studies as analyzed, make this study timely.
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Introduction
The current Chapter describes the strategy that will be used to collect data for addressing the research questions. It highlights the research design, area of study, selection of population, sample size, research methods and the tools that will be used to collect data, quality control measures, and ethical considerations during research and data analysis.
Research Design
According to Fisher (2007), a research design is defined as a detailed outline of how an investigation takes place. The study will adopt a combination of two research designs and that is: a case study and a descriptive survey design. A case study design usually involves only one (Pattern, 2000). Trochim (2001) defines a case study as an intensive study of a specific individual or specific context. Descriptive survey design is a method of collecting information by interviewing or administering a questionnaire to a sample of individuals (Orodho, 2003 cited in Kombo and Tromp, 2014, page 71). This design will provide descriptions of the variables under study to answer the research questions being investigated. This study will be majorly qualitative in approach. Qualitative research involves data that is not recorded in numerical form. It includes short written responses on surveys, interviews and it is research that relies exclusively on qualitative measures (Trochim, 2001). Qualitative research approach is selected for this study because it uses small, and relies on interviews and observation, and a qualitative researcher limits oneself to individuals who re directly studies (Patten, 2000). In this study, the research will be focusing on learners with Down syndrome.
Study Area
The study will be carried out at Hill Preparatory school in Nakawa division, Kampala District in Uganda. This school has been selected because it is one of the few schools in Uganda, which offer inclusive education. Nakawa Division lies in the eastern part of the city, bordering Kira Town council to the east, Wakiso District to the north, Kawempe Division to the north-west, Kampala Central Division to the west, Makindye Division across Murchison Bay to the south-west and Lake Victoria to the south.
Population of Study
Trochim (2006) defines a study population as the group in which a researcher wants to pick a sample from in order to make generalizations of the study. According to Meyer (2001) multiple respondents are helpful in checking the validity of the information provided by one. This study will use multiple respondents who will include; teachers, DS learners and Head teacher. According to the current records of Hill Preparatory school, there are 44 teachers, 1 head teacher and about 500 pupils and out of this number, 105 learners have varied disabilities and among these particular learners 25 have been identified as having Down syndrome (DS).
Sampling Technique
The researcher will use purposive sampling technique. According to Maxwell (2008) purposive sampling technique is non-probabilistic sampling technique where the samples of the study are chosen basing on their characteristics and judgment of the researcher. Purposive sampling will be used to select teachers, and DS learners from the bigger population.
Sample Structure and Sample size
According to Amin, (2005) a sample is a subset of the entire population. Kreceie & Morgan (1970) stress that it’s impossible to carry out research on the entire population therefore the researcher will choose a sample of the entire population of Hill Preparatory School. The study samples will be selected based on Krejcie & Morgan Sampling Table (See appendix page 46). Accordingly, this study will use a population of 70 participants as indicated in the Sample Structure and the sample size will be 59 in the categories as indicated.
Table 1: Sample Structure and Sample Size
| Category of Respondents Population Sample size
|
| Head Teacher 1 1 Teachers 44 37 Children with DS 25 21 Total No. of Respondents 70 59 |
Source: Developed by the researcher
To get the sample size of different population categories the researcher divided the population category against the total population and multiplied by the sample size presented by Krecie and Morgan table of sample size determination.
Data Collection Methods and Instruments
One of the key strengths of case study design is the opportunity to use a wide range of methods and instruments to collect data (Maxwell, 2008). This study therefore intends to use a wide range of instruments comprising semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and direct observation checklist.
According to Ahuja (2009), an interview is a two-person conversation initiated by the interviewer for the specific purpose of obtaining research-related information. An interview guide, which is referred to as a set of questions for which answers, will be used by a researcher to interview respondents. The use of this tool gives the researcher control over the line of questioning hence time saving. Interviews will be conducted in a quiet place without noise with the key informants. A semi-structured interview schedule will be used to collect data from the head teacher, teachers, and some DS learners simply because this study seeks in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of developing employability skills from the perspective of the respondent. The interview schedule will impose a number of open questions, focusing on specific situations, and action sequences in the real school environment (Meyer, 2001). Specifically, interviews will be used to establish from each respondent about developing employability skills in children with Down syndrome. The instrument will allow sufficient flexibility to approach different respondents, while still covering the same subject matter. In this case, interviews will be conducted with teachers, the head teacher and DS learners.
Observation
Observation refers to the type of data collection where the researcher collects data in the filed by observing the phenomenon under study. The advantage with this process is that it helps in getting firsthand information from the field. This also helps the researcher in getting correct information. The disadvantage with this process is that it needs the researcher to get into the place for the data collection and this wastes the researcher’s time and it can also be very expensive. The major strength of direct observation is that it is discreet and does not require direct interaction with participants. It also produces consistency when combined with other methods like interviews. Direct observation of DS learners and of some teachers when conducting lessons, will highlight the ‘divergences between what respondents will say in interviews and casual conversations, and what they actually do’ (Meyer, 2001). The participants for observation are the learners with DS and teachers who will be teaching them skills. The researcher will observe DS learners in class, during physical education exercises, when playing with peers, during time for meals and during their art and craft lessons.
Documentary Analysis
Documentary analysis is a type of qualitative research in which documents are reviewed by the analyst to assess an appraisal theme (……). Dissecting documents involves coding content into subjects or theme. The researcher will review all documents available from the library regarding Down syndrome and learners’ records in the Hill Preparatory school. These sources will specifically include; newspapers, text books and journals and DS learners’ progress reports and assessment forms.
Research Procedure
The questionnaire will be structured and pre-tested by the researcher in Kireka School for the Handicap, Waskiso District since it is also an urban setting with similar study characteristics. This will be done after approval by the supervisor. A letter of introduction by the University will enable the researcher to carry out research. It will be presented to the school leadership to facilitate the researcher for accessing their school teachers and the target learners.
Quality Control Measures
After developing the questionnaire, the researcher will contact the supervisor and three other experts to ensure that the tools to collect the required data is valid. Hence, the researcher will ensure validity of the instruments by using expert judgment method suggested by Gay (1996). Miles and Huberman (1994) propose that to reinforce the confirmation and validation of qualitative research the study’s general methods and procedures should be described in detail to enable one to follow the process of analysis. The study will give detailed description of data collection procedures and processing. Respondents’ voices will be displayed in the final report and quotations and extracts from documents will be given to support data interpretation.
Construct validity
Construct validity, in qualitative research, refers to whether substantial evidence exists that the theoretical paradigm correctly corresponds to the observations (Meyer, 2001). Since the strength of qualitative research lies in flexible and responsive interaction between interviewer and respondents, the researcher will probe the meanings covered in topics from several angles, and key questions will be clarified to respondents. Respondents will be interviewed in sufficient detail to capture true, correct and believable reports of their views and experiences. Use of multiple sources of evidence will facilitate multiple viewpoints within and across data sources, made possible by using multiple respondents and use of multiple data sources (Meyer, 2001).
Internal validity
Internal validity is about the appropriateness and accuracy with which research findings are presented (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2003). The internal validity of this study will be strengthened by interpreting and linking data in form of inferences, explanations and meanings to ensure that conclusions drawn were systematically explored. Flexible and responsive methods of data collection will allow cross-checking and strengthening of information from the case (Meyer, 2001).
External validity
Case studies do not lend themselves to statistical inference. External validity in qualitative study does not depend on the representativeness of cases but on the logic of theoretical reasoning. In this respect, external validity of this study will base on William Glasser’s (1998) Choice theory to compare the difference between the theoretical prepositions and the actual practice at Hill preparatory school.
Reliability
According Bruton (2000), reliability is established by testing the instruments for the reliability of values (Cronbatch, 1946) and analysis for Alpha values for each variable under study. Sekaran (2001), notes that Alpha values for each variable under study should not be less than 0.6 for the statements in the instruments to be deemed reliable. To ensure that all variables are subjected to this test, the researcher will use the internal consistency method that provides a unique estimate of reliability for the given test administrations. The most popular internal consistency reliability estimate has been given by Cronbach’s Alpha.
Qualitative research calls for non-traditional measure of reliability for; it is not a question of whether findings will recur. It is a question of whether results are consistent with data (Merriam, 1998). Reliability is thus, concerned with documenting the entire research procedure, which must be accomplished at such a level of abstraction that the loci of decisions internal to the study are made apparent. The curious reader deserves to know how the study was prepared and how the data was collected and analyzed (Meyer, 2001). The researcher will address this by detailing fieldwork experience, sampling procedure, as well as the data collection and analysis procedures. Besides, a concise review trace will be given in the main text detailing how data will be collected, analyzed, interpreted and presented Creswell & Creswell (2003).
Ethical Consideration
Ethical considerations will be taken care of by, first seeking authorization from Kyambogo University administration and other relevant authorities. Questionnaires will be structured in such a way that there is no mention of the interviewee’s name, which ensures strict confidentiality in data. Furthermore, responses will be optional and respondents will not be given any inducements to participate in the study. The researcher will give a briefing to the respondents on the purpose of the research, their relevance in the research process, and expectations from them as explained by Lloyd Bevan (2009). Informed consent will be ascertained from informants/respondents. They will be promised confidentiality about the information they provide. The researcher will explained to the respondents the purpose of the study as purely academic and that the information obtained will be treated with utmost confidentiality that is if anybody other than the University authority is to have access to the information provided.
Data Processing and Analysis
Qualitative data analysis approaches will be used to analyze descriptive data from participants’ opinions and attitudes and to generate developing themes. Data analysis will begin as soon as the study commences, which will allow the researcher to progressively focus interviews and observations and to decide how to test emerging themes. The first step in data analysis will be to code, reduce and place data into themes that reflect the study objectives. For interview data, this means marking texts with domain codes and chunking together data on each domain. The same procedure will be followed to organize data from documents and observations. Data from each respondent will be treated independently in order to identify the similarities and differences. At this point, a descriptive account of the case will be organized under four themes that reflect the four study objectives. Data on each theme will be scrutinized to ascertain that each theme accurately represents the context as established on the ground by evidence (Maxwell, 2008). In most case the researcher will also use verbatim of the participants.
Limitations and Delimitation of the study
The study may have the following limitations:
- Hill preparatory is very busy therefore the researcher may face challenges with getting responses from the respondents because of the school schedules. However the researcher will solve this problem by communicating with the management of the school to organize and schedule time for carrying out data collection.
- The study will largely be confined to students and teacher of Hill preparatory school.
- The study will focus on Hill preparatory school. The school is mainly for the disabled children therefore when collecting data from this school there may be challenges with communicating to the Down syndrome children during data collection. This will be overcome by moving with the teachers of the Down syndrome and disabled children since they know how to properly communicate with these children.
§
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INTERVIEW
Dear Respondent
My name is Laouke rebbecca , a master’s student at Kyambogo University. I am carrying out research on the topic “ employability skills of learners with down syndrome at hill preparatory school in kampala district”. You have been identified as a key and valuable respondent for this study. This is purely an academic study that will contribute to my grade to acquire a master’s degree. Your responses will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will purely be used for the purpose of this study. I request you to spare a few minutes of your valuable time and answer some questions.
- To investigate the different employability skills DS learners receive at Hill Preparatory School in Nakawa Division, Kampala District.
Children with Down syndrome are taught how to communicate?
If yes what communication skill is taught to children with Down syndrome?
Do children with Down syndrome communicate effectively?
How do you view the level of communication between children with Down syndrome?
Can children with Down syndrome to instruction.
Do children with Down syndrome take in instructions?
How do children with Down syndrome relate with one another?
How do children with Down syndrome advice carryout specific tasks?
Are children with Down syndrome self driven?
Can children with Down syndrome do hand work?
How creative are children with Down syndrome?
How do children with Down syndrome interact with computers?
- To examine whether the DS learners are able to use the employability skills acquired from Hill Preparatory School.
Are Down syndrome children able to do their work independently?
How often do you tell Down syndrome children what to do?
Do you often advice children with Down syndrome to greet
Do children with Down syndrome greet you, without asking?
How creative are children with Down syndrome
Can sometimes children with Down syndrome work on their own?
- To findout the importance of employability skills to learners with DS at Hill Preparatory School in Nakawa Division.
Most of the children with Down syndrome are able to market themselves to potential employers?
Are the handworks made by children with Down syndrome salable?
Do the children with down syndrome make quality and durable crafts?
How easy is it to market products of the down syndrome?
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Interview Guide for Teachers / Head Teacher
- Which type of employability skills are taught to Hill preparatory schools?
- Are the DS in your school able to learn and use skills learned in class?
Appendix B: Interview Guide for DS
1.
2
Appendix C: Observation Check list
| Skills observed | Comment | |
| CLASSROOM TIME | ||
| Public speaking | ||
| Interpersonal skills | ||
| Team work | ||
| Leadership Skills | ||
| Problem solving | ||
| Reading skills | ||
| Writing | ||
| Decision making | ||
| Time management | ||
| MEAL TIME | ||
| Sharing | ||
| Time management | ||
| Cleanness | ||
| Responsibility | ||
| Table manners | ||
| PLAY TIME | ||
| Team work | ||
| Taking responsibility | ||
| Sharing with collegues | ||
