Critical analysis on “Models of Vocational Assessment of Handicapped Students” Peterson (1989)

Huseyn Hasanov, Vahid Shirvanzade

Writing & Info Literacy | 10179
Instructor: Aynur Aghazade
CRITICAL ANALYSIS on
“Models of Vocational Assessment of Handicapped Students”
Peterson (1989)
Do you know that in developing countries such as China or India, 80-90% of working-age handicapped people face problems while looking for a job (UN, 2015)? The main solution for overcoming the issue of unemployment that disabled individuals face is to expand a vocational assessment for them even starting from the school age. The article “Models of Vocational Assessment of Handicapped Students” by Peterson (1989) discusses two different models: the vocational evaluation center model and the curriculum-based model of vocational assessment as well as the mix of these two models called a comprehensive model of vocational assessment. While the author effectively synthesizes all the necessary information for developing various models of vocational assessment for disabled learners during 1989, the research does not consider contemporary challenges that impaired students face.
Peterson (1989) shows that professional assessment of disabled learners are vocational evaluation center model, a curriculum-based model as well as a comprehensive model of vocational assessment. The idea of a vocational evaluation center suggests that during secondary as well as postsecondary school age, skill training programs and comprehensive support services such as Project Serve and Vocational Support Service must be provided for those with special needs. Besides, the curriculum-based model advocates supporting disabled students mentally in a way that learners’ values, skills, and temperaments are examined constantly. In this type of vocational assessment, parents as well as instructors use rating scales to actively measure the improvements in the skills of impaired students. On the other hand, the comprehensive model of vocational assessment proposes that using the strengths of both curriculum-based vocational assessment and vocational evaluation centers will be helpful for individuals with special needs since it helps to develop prevocational skills, work behaviors, and functional living skills. The educational options available to learners who are disabled will increasingly include appropriate vocational evaluation and the support systems that are associated with it.
The essay “Models of Vocational Assessment of Handicapped Students” by Peterson (1989) is a great initiative that was taken in the last century, which aims to improve the role of students with impairments in society. It successfully examines two models of vocational assessments including vocational evaluation center models and curriculum-based model of vocational assessment as well as effectively synthesizes two concepts while developing a comprehensive model of vocational assessment for those with special needs. Therefore, it is more important to search more about the best system in the vocational assessment of impaired students. The main claim of the study puts forward that for disabled students it is important to prepare them for the future work environment, otherwise, such learners will face an unemployment problem in the economy. Therefore, the author successfully catches the readers’ attention to the main problem and shows how to fight against obstacles that students with disabilities face.
Conversely, the study does not address current problems in society. He did not provide the entire socio-economic picture of at that time as well as problems that disabled students face. The article mainly takes into account the issues that disabled students faced during the last century. Nevertheless, in comparison to the 1980s, the learning environment as well as socio-economic situation are not the same currently. For example, Peterson (1989) says that it is necessary to develop rating scales in order to observe the changes in the vocational assessment of disabled children, however, at present most schools operate with such systems successfully. According to Hance (2020), inclusive education, which aims to corporate all students regardless of their physical capabilities as well as nationalities is the main drive of education at present. Besides, the learning atmosphere is predominantly designed with technological devices that increase the flexibility of the classes and the responsiveness of disabled students. Consequently, the ideas of Peterson (1989) are not referable for today’s school settings, since the environment in institutes is not the same as during the last century.
In conclusion, while Peterson (1989) effectively synthesizes all the necessary information for developing various models of vocational assessment for disabled learners, the research does not consider challenges that impaired students face at present. The study necessarily shows how to cope with the problems that disabled students face in the last century and successfully develops models of evaluation center, curriculum-based as well as comprehensive vocational assessments. Yet, it should be better not to refer to such a source in order to develop ways for impaired students to attend the work environment since it is not suitable for today’s school and work settings.

References:

United Nations. (2015). Disability and employment enable. Retrieved December 18, 2022, from https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/resources/factsheet-on-persons-with-disabilities/disability-and-employment.html
Hance, M. (2020, July 23). What is an inclusive learning environment? Retrieved December 18, 2022, from https://www.graduateprogram.org/2020/03/what-is-an-inclusive-learning-environment/
Peterson, M. (1989). Models of Vocational Assessment of Handicapped Students. American Annals of the Deaf, 134(4), 273–276. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44390278