Attitude change of students in a part-time rehabilitation program as a function of education about disability and contact with disabled persons: a program evaluation

Furlong, Muriel Mary (1980) Attitude change of students in a part-time rehabilitation program as a function of education about disability and contact with disabled persons: a program evaluation. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate Level One of the Rehabilitation Certificate Program offered by Memorial University of Newfoundland Extension Service, September, 1978 to December 1979. The study focused on attitude change toward the disabled as a function of the program. The relationship between attitudes toward the disabled and dogmatism, age, sex, level of education and amount of previous contact with the disabled was also explored. -- The two measurement instruments used in this study were the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons (ATOP) Scale and the Rokeach Dogmatism (OS) Scale. Pre and post test questionnaires were administered to the students, in class, before and after each of the three courses of Level One. The data were subjected to t-tests with the null hypothesis rejected at the .05 level of confidence. -- Findings indicated that a significant change of attitude occured as a result of exposure to Course II. Although slightly positive changes occured as a result of exposure to each of the other two courses, these changes were not deemed statistically significant. A slight, though not statistically significant relationship was found between attitudes toward the disabled and dogmatism. Subjects who held more favorable attitudes toward the disabled tended to hold less dogmatic views. The variables of age, sex, level of education and amount of contact were not found to be statistically related to attitudes toward the disabled. -- A series of recommendations for the future evaluation of this and other programs is suggested.

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