Impacts of Vocational Interest on Undergraduate Students' Attitudes toward Persons with Disabilities

Autor/inn/en	Huskin, Patricia R.; Reiser-Robbins, Christine; Kwon, Soyoung
Titel	Impacts of Vocational Interest on Undergraduate Students' Attitudes toward Persons with Disabilities
Quelle	In: Research in Higher Education Journal, 33 (2017), (18 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1941-3432
Schlagwörter	Undergraduate Students; Student Attitudes; Attitudes toward Disabilities; Vocational Interests; Social Distance; Interpersonal Relationship; Majors (Students); Attitude Measures; Human Services; Prior Learning; Student Experience; Questionnaires; Statistical Analysis + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schülerverhalten; Berufsinteresse; Interpersonal relation; Interpersonal relations; Interpersonelle Beziehung; Zwischenmenschliche Beziehung; Humanitäre Hilfe; Vorkenntnisse; Studienerfahrung; Fragebogen; Statistische Analyse
Abstract	Research into the concerning persistence of disability bias in the U.S. indicates that increased knowledge about disabilities promotes more positive attitudes toward persons with disability. This study explored higher education, specifically academic major and vocational interest, as one venue through which to better understand the attitudes that young adults hold toward persons with disability. Drawing on a sample population of 766 undergraduate students, it examined respondents' social distance, attitudes held toward entering into social relationships with persons with disability. It first compared the social distance expressed by students majoring in human service-oriented fields of study, where interactions and contact with individuals with disabilities is expected and disability-related training is integrated into their academic curriculum, versus students in non-service-oriented fields of study, where contact with persons with disabilities is considered incidental to the profession. No statistically significant differences in social distance attitudes were found between these groupings. When academic major was analyzed individually, several majors showed meaningful patterns in reported social distance, though none were statistically significant. However, lower social distance attitudes did appear to correlate with respondents who have had regular contact experiences with persons with disability, a finding which raises particular opportunities for higher education institutions. Implications for research, educational training, and program development are discussed. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Academic and Business Research Institute. 147 Medjool Trail, Ponte Vedra, FL 32081. Tel: 904-435-4330; e-mail: editorial.staff@aabri.com; Web site: http://www.aabri.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01