ABSTRACT
This article examines the effects of mainstreaming on the attitudes of non-disabled students, in a secondary school, toward people with disabilities. Responses from 389 Form 1 and Form 2 students were analyzed. A 47-item Students' Attitudes toward People with a Disability Scale was used to measure student attitudes at the beginning and end of the school year. The effect of educational intervention and daily classroom contacts on student attitudes was examined. The competitive and achievement orientation of Hong Kong's educational environment poses formidable barriers to the adoption of effective inclusive practices in the classroom. The results of this study indicate that educational intervention outside the classroom has a small effect in changing students' attitudes.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Developmental Disabilities/psychology , Disabled Persons/psychology , Mainstreaming, Education , Students/psychology , Autistic Disorder/psychology , Child , Child Behavior , Female , Humans , Male , Peer Group , Persons With Hearing Impairments/psychology , Social Behavior , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The self-help movement in Hong Kong has been gradually gaining its momentum in recent years. The primary purpose of the research was to give voice to the experiences and views of patients towards cancer care and to influence healthcare providers and policy makers to act on patients' agendas. Self-help groups and their members are mobilized through the research activities of focus groups, interviews and a patient forum to specify and act on their needs. This article describes the project and the participatory action research (PAR) strategies in the mobilization of, and collaboration with, patient groups in research design, data analysis, and dissemination of findings. The implications on healthcare practice, particularly within an era of reform and restructuring of the healthcare system, are discussed.
