POST-SCHOOL OUTCOMES OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS IN HONG KONG: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF TEACHERS’ OBSERVATIONS

Abstract

To help students with special educational needs (SEN) to achieve smooth transitions from secondary school to higher education, to post-school employment and other outcomes that suit their development needs is one of the core goals of special education.
It is also a key component of worldwide practices of inclusive education. Making an effort to contribute to research and practical development in this area in Asian regions, the present study examined post-school outcomes of SEN students in a Hong Kong setting. A qualitative approach was used by conducting a series of focus group interviews to teachers. Together with our findings of teachers’ relatively rich observations of post-school outcomes for SEN students and transition difficulties usually encountered by this group of students, a dilemma also emerged from teachers’ perceptions and observations of SEN students and their parents’ expectations to postschool outcomes and realistic outcomes they could achieve. Implications and future directions are discussed.