Caribbean Secondary Education Council

Social Studies
School Based Assessment
2017

Title:
An Investigation on the Attitudes
towards Disabled Youths

Separation

NAMES AND CANDIDATE NUMBER: STEPHANIE KEATING, 0400130122

ELLY LOGAN, 0400130173
AMARILYS McCOY, 0400130211
JODI POTT, 0400130246
IMRAH TRAPP, 0400130297

SCHOOL: SAINT CATHERINE ACADEMY

SCHOOL NUMBER: 040013

TERRITORY: BELIZE

TEACHER: MS. KALIMA ENRIQUEZ

 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Acknowledgements

We appreciate and acknowledge our current Social Studies teacher, Ms. Kalima Enriquez, for

having helping us to successfully complete this School Based Assessment (SBA). Most

importantly, we would like to acknowledge the student body of Saint Catherine Academy for

wilfully participating and engaging in our survey.

 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Contents

Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................................ 1

Reason for Topic ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Method of Investigation ................................................................................................................................ 3
Instrument Used to Collect Data ................................................................................................................... 4
Procedure Used to Collect Data .................................................................................................................... 7
Display of Data .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Analysis of Data........................................................................................................................................... 10
Findings ....................................................................................................................................................... 11
Recommendation........................................................................................................................................ 12
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................ 13
Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................... 15
 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 _________
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Statement of the Problem

What are students’ attitudes toward disabled youths?

1
 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Reason for Topic

This topic was chosen because the discussion on the treatment of disabled children has increased.

Psychologists recommend that disabled youths should develop friendships or relationships with

individuals who are not disabled to further develop simple social skills. However, in our society,

disabled youths are often mistreated. Hence, it was found important to investigate the

interactions between disabled youths and youths without disabilities within our school

community.
 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Method of Investigation

A survey was used to collect this data. Utilizing a survey has both advantages and disadvantages.

Some advantages of a survey are as follows:

 It is easy to obtain a large amount of data.

 It is easy to analyse.

 A large population can be contacted at a low cost.

The disadvantage to the survey are as follows:

 If an individual does not understand a question clearly, it cannot be clarified.

 There is no way of determining the honesty of a person.

 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Instrument Used to Collect Data

Questionnaire on Students Attitude toward Disabled Youths

Dear Respondent,

We are doing an investigation on the attitudes of others towards disabled youths for my Social
Studies School Based Assessment. This survey will help us to understand how others react
towards disabled youths. We would appreciate if you take the time to answer this survey. This
survey is confidential; therefore, please don’t write your names on this paper.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Keating, Elly Logan, Amarilys McCoy, Jodi Pott, Imrah Trapp
Shade the circle that corresponds to your chosen answer. Write in complete sentences where
applicable.
1. What is your age?
o 11-12
o 13-14
o 15-16
o 17-18
o Other _______________________
2. What is your ethnicity?
o Creole
o Garifuna
o Maya
o Mestizo
o Mixed _________________________________
o Other _________________________
3. What is your religious denomination?
o Anglican
o Catholic
o Methodist
o Pentecostal
o Baptist
o Hindu
o None
o Other _______________________________
 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

4. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: Disabled
youths should give up on their future.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
5. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: Disabled
youths should be treated as inferior.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
6. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: Disabled
youths should be treated the same as any other person.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Agree
7. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: Youths with
a disability are so much different from other youths.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
8. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: Disabled
youths get fewer opportunities than other youths.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
9. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: Disabled
youths require more attention than other youths.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

10. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: Disabled
youths should not attend normal schools.
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

11. Would you take care of a disabled youth?

o Yes
o No

Please sate your reason why.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

12. Would you be friends with a disabled youth?

o Yes
o No

Please sate your reason why.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Procedure Used to Collect Data

Saint Catherine Academy is an all-girls school comprised of six hundred and eight-two students.

Forty surveys were administered systematically. The president and vice president in every class

were each given one survey. The survey was given out October 5 at 8:00 a.m., and it was

collected 3:00 p.m. the same day.

 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Display of Data

"DISABLED YOUTHS SHOULD BE

TREATED AS INFERIOR"
25
Number of Respondents

20
15
Strongly Agree
10 21
Agree
5 11
1 Disagree
0 3 Strongly Disagree
Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly
Agree Disagree
Response

FIGURE ONE: BAR CHART SHOWRING LEVEL OF AGREEMENT WITH THE

STATEMENT “DISABLED YOUTHS SHOULD BE TREATED AS INFERIOR.”

"Disabled youths should not attend normal schools."

"Disabled youths should be
treated the same as any other strongly strongly Grand
person." agree agree disagree disagree Total
agree 0 5 4 2 11
disagree 0 2 0 0 2
strongly agree 2 4 12 4 22
strongly disagree 0 1 0 0 1
Grand Total 2 12 16 6 36

TABLE ONE: TABLE COMPARING STUDENTS’ VIEWS ON THE STATEMENT “DISABLED

YOUTHS SHOULD BE TREATED THE SAME AS OTHER PERSON.” AND THE
STATEMENT “DISABLED YOUTHS SHOULD NOT ATTEND NORMAL SCHOOL.”
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Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

"YOUTHS WITH A DISABILITY ARE SO MUCH

DIFFERENT FROM OTHER YOUTHS"
16
15
Number of REspondents

14
12
11
10
9
8
6
4
2
1
0
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
Responses

FIGURE TWO: LINE GRAPH SHOWRING LEVEL OF AGREEMENT WITH THE

STATEMENT “YOUTHS WITH DISABLITY ARE SO MUCH DIFFERENT FROM
OTHER YOUTHS.”

"FRIENDS WITH A DISABLED

YOUTH"
yes no

0%

100%

FIGURE THREE: PIE CHART COMAPRING NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO WOULD

NOT BE FRIENDS WITH A DISABLED YOUTH AND THOSE WHO WOULD
 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Analysis of Data

A survey was conducted to determine the attitude of students towards disabled youths. Most

(44%) of students were 15 – 16. In addition, 50% of students were Roman Catholics. 56% of the

respondents were Creole and Mestizo. The remainder of the students were multi-ethnic or Maya.

The respondents were asked whether or not they agreed with statement “disabled youths should

give up on their future”; majority (80.5%) of the students disagreed with statement. 0 %

strongly agreed, 2.7% agreed, and 16.6% disagreed. The respondents were also asked whether

or not “disabled youths should be treated as inferior”. As seen in Figure One majority of the

respondents disagreed, which was 58.3%, strongly disagreed to this statement; 2,7% strongly

agreed. The respondents were asked whether or not disabled youths get fewer opportunities than

other youths. 41.6%, which was the majority, agreed that disabled youths get fewer

opportunities than other youths.

Moreover, as seen in Figure Two 61.1% of the respondents strongly agreed that disabled youths

are different from any other person; 25% of them strongly disagreed, 41.6% disagreed and

30.5% agreed. Also, as seen in Table One 52.7% of the respondents strongly agreed that

disabled youths require more attention than other youths. 25% strongly disagreed to this

statement. As seen in Table One majority of the respondents, 44.4% of them, strongly disagreed

to disabled youths attending normal schools; 11.1% of them both agreed and strongly

disagreed. 88.8% of the respondents said that they would take care of a disabled youth. 88.8%
 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

said yes, while 11.1% said no. Lastly, as seen in Figure Three 100% of the respondents said yes

to being friends with a disabled youth.

Overall, there was a positive attitude towards disabled youths. Majority of the questions had a

positive feedback. The survey shows that the students of Saint Catherine Academy do treat

individual with disabled youths fairly.

 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Findings
1. Overall, 80.5% of the respondents said that disabled youths should not give up on their

future.

2. Overall, 63.8% of the respondents said that disabled youths get fewer opportunities than

others.

3. Overall, 52.7% of the respondents said that disabled youths require more attention than

others.

Recommendation

There are many children who are either born with disabilities or develop one as they mature.

Every individual has different, positive and negative, views on children with disabilities. People
 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

tend to judge individuals immediately in comparison to physically and socially accepted norms.

It has been seen countlessly the judging of a disabled child based on their physical abnormalities

rather than, first, being educated about their disabilities and its effects on their behaviour.

Everyone should have an opportunity to be educated about disabilities that affect youths

worldwide. Additionally, if people are educated they would then know how to treat children with

disabilities. Government through the Ministry of Education can embed in the Social Studies

curriculum in secondary school, lessons on the Concern for the Disabled. In these lessons,

students could learn how to deal with concerns for the disabled.

Through the Religion or Social Studies classes students can engage in community service with

disabled youths. This would help students to better understand some of the hardships disabled

youths face. This can be embedded in a standardize curriculum through the Ministry of

Education.

Bibliography
Brathwaite Stephenson, G. J. (2012). Carribean Social Studies for CSEC. New York: Oxford
University Press.

Popper, K. (2005). The Logic of Scientific Discovery. New York: Routledge.

 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
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Unicef. (2016, October 7). Disabilities. Retrieved 3 2017, January, from Unicef.org:
https://www.unicef.org/disabilities/
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Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Appendix

What is your age? Total

11--12 1
13--14 15
15--16 16
17--18 4
other 0
36
What is your Ethnicity?
Creole 10
Garifuna 3
Maya 1
Mestizo 10
Mixed 10
Other 3

What is your Religious Denomination?

Anglican 4
Catholic 18
Methodist 1
Pentecostal 1
Baptist 2
Hindu 0
None 3
Other 7

Disabled youths should give up their future

Strongly Agree 0
Agree 1
Disagree 6
Strongly disagree 29

Disabled youths should be treated as inferior

Strongly Agree 1
Agree 3
Disagree 11
 Keating, 0400130122
Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

Strongly Disagree 21

Disabled youths should be treated the Same as any other

person
Strongly agree 22
agree 11
Disagree 2
Strongly disagree 1

Youths with a disability are so much different from other

youths

Strongly agree 1
Agree 11
Disagree 15
Strongly disagree 9

Disabled youths get fewer opportunities than other

youths 0
strongly agree 7
agree 23
disagree 6
strongly disagree 0

Disabled youths require more attention than other youths

strongly agree 19
agree 16
disagree 1
strongly disagree 0

Disabled youths should not attend normal schools

Strongly agree 4
agree 12
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Logan, 0400130173
Mccoy, 0400130211
Pott, 0400130246
Trapp, 040013 0297
St. Catherine Academy
040013

disagree 16
strongly disagree 4

Take care of a disabled youth

yes 32
no

4
Friends with a disabled youth

yes 36
no 0