Abstract
Career aspirations, especially of adolescents, play a significant role in shaping career development. However, there appears to be a dearth of research on career aspirations and adolescent learners with special educational needs. Therefore, this research explored the career aspirations of Grade 9 learners in a school with special educational needs. Set within an interpretive paradigm, this research made use of a generic qualitative approach and employed a case study design which permitted the focus to be on understanding the career aspirations of Grade 9 learners with special educational needs.
The participants were two Grade 9 learners from a school that caters for learners with special educational needs in this study. Data collection included the following methods: creating a career collage, mapping out a career sociogram, utilising quantitative data in a qualitative manner from a subject-choice assessment battery that was completed by the participants, and an individual interview discussing their thoughts and feelings about their career aspirations. The data collected from the various sources were analysed thematically through inductive content analysis to identify themes and interpret important concepts.
The results firstly demonstrate a strong preference for practical careers emerged which reinforces the need for learners with special educational needs for practical, hands-on opportunities. Secondly, the need to help others – whether people or animals – was a significant find as it was reinforced by being passionate about a career. Lastly, intrinsic motivation was identified where the research participants disclosed their career aspirations.
Recommendations were based on assisting learners with special educational needs to discover what their career aspirations are and with relevant support structures in place, to refine them and develop them into realistic goals.
M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)