College students with disabilities: Building self-determination and self-efficacy.

Abstract

The successful pursuit of postsecondary opportunities for students with disabilities requires providing supports beyond the typical academic accommodations. Equal access to postsecondary education should include developing support systems, and providing strategy and self-determination instruction specific to the individual needs of students with disabilities. This study employed quantitative and qualitative procedures to determine if implementation of a support network and direct services for developing critical self-determination skills among four university students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders would increase their: (1) level of self-determination, (2) level of self-efficacy regarding perceptions of college performance, (3) level of persistence regarding perceptions of college performance, (4) level of self-efficacy regarding perceptions of personal disability, and (5) study behavior percentile scores.

Inconsistencies in student participation resulted in a need for additional inquiry to determine the factors impacting student participation, perceptions of project benefits, and suggestions for improving the project. Students reported issues of time management and personal investment as factors interfering with project participation. While no statistically significant results were found, meaningful increases in students' pre to post self-determination, perceptions of college performance, academic persistence, and perceptions of personal disability student self-determination scores occurred. Student perceptions of project benefits included acquisition of self-determination skills and access to support systems. Students' acquisition of self-determination skills supported the identification of their strengths and challenges, and strategies to address their challenges and validate their strengths. To recruit new students to a program of this type, project participants recommended several methods of advertising the project. In addition, student recommendations indicated a need for an in-depth overview of project activities. Results of this study provide suggestions for the development and implementation of support networks and self-determination instruction for students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorder in a university setting.