Abstract:

Cultivating the ability of self-determination, particularly for students with disabilities, is a key teaching goal at any age as this skill has been identified as central in predicting achievement and other life outcomes. The ability for self-determination is especially important for adolescents and young people with intellectual disability during the transition period from school to community. This ability is influenced by the environment in which they live, especially if they are given the opportunity to develop self-determination skills in the contexts of family and school.
The contribution of self-determination to students with intellectual disability is especially significant during their transition into the community, alongside the skills of self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-advocacy. In fact, self-determination is actually one of the most important skills for success in college and at the workplace and for leading an independent life.
The role of multiple environments (such as the school and family) is central for promoting self-determination. Environments in which students with intellectual disability have support and opportunities to develop self-determination over their lifespan enable them to make their own decisions, to be their own agents in life, and to act volitionally.
The primary aim of the research is to learn about Students, Parents and Teachers assessment of the student's self-determination and learn about the contribution of home and school to students self determination.
The Air Self-Determination Scale questionnaire that consists of three versions: students, teachers, and parents. was used which includes four categories: “Things I do”, “Things I feel,” “What happens at school”, and “What happens at home”.
The study involved 79 participants. Of these, 44 were students with intellectual disabilities (n = 44) who attended the same special-education school at the age of 17 who were at the beginning of the preparation period for the transition from school to community. The other participants comprised their parents (n = 19) and their teachers (n = 16).
A significant difference was found between students and teachers in the construct “Things I do.” The teachers assessed the students significantly lower than students assessed themselves and the parents assessed their children. In addition, there was a significant difference in the sense of ability to be self-determined (“Things I feel”) between the students and the teachers and their parents. Students assessed themselves with a higher sense of competence compared to how their teachers or parents assessed them.
The patterns of relationships in the group of students based on the variables of doing and a sense of ability for self-determination and opportunities for expression of behavior that projects self-determination.
The opportunities for self-determination at home and at school seem to have a strong positive correlation with the student’s sense of ability and probably contribute to students with intellectual disabilities self-determination.
This finding highlights the need for listening to the student's needs and goals and creating cooperation between the parents and the teachers in implementation of the self-determination curriculum.

Keywords:

Self-determination, Intellectual Disability, Teacher-Parent-Student assessment.