Preconditions influencing the development of post-secondary training programs in universities for individuals with intellectual disabilities

ABSTRACT

Background

Research on post-secondary training for individuals with intellectual disabilities has generally focused on programs, with little consideration of the structures and mechanisms that give rise to them. This article adopts a critical realist perspective to comparatively analyse and theorise about the contextual structures contributing to the introduction of post-secondary training programs in universities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Method

Six stages in critical realist explanatory research were followed. They include (1) description, (2) analytical resolution, (3) abduction/theoretical redescription, (4) retroduction, (5) comparison between different theories and abstractions, and (6) concretisation and contextualisation.

Results

Historical, socio-political, and educational policy structures and mechanisms, indicated three program typologies: program as niche, as a generalisable prototype, and as an evolutionary response to evolving conditions.

Conclusions

By developing explanations about preconditions, the study draws out nuanced sub-types occurring within a single university-based program, theorises on trajectories for success, and lays the groundwork for future empirical and conceptual development.

KEYWORDS:

• Intellectual disability
• inclusive post-secondary education
• higher education
• critical realism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (National Statement), and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) at Torrens University Australia (HREC-0131).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by 2019 Laureate Grant for Inter-Institutional Research.