Self-Concept of Physically Handicapped Students

Abstract

It is a common knowledge that knowing oneself has become a great concern among the youth which includes the physically handicapped individuals. A physical handicap is considered as a drawback in attaining maximum achievement in school. For this reason, the study aimed to determine the level of self-concept of the 56 physically challenged students in nine secondary schools in the Province of Ilocos Sur both public and private institutions. This study utilized a descriptive correlational method of research. The researchers made use of a three way process in which a survey was initially employed to reach out the potential respondents of the investigation. After having been identified the respondents, an interview was conducted, then, followed by the administration of the instrument. The interview was done at the Principal's and Guidance Counselor's Offices. The primary data gathering tool used in the study was adopted from the instrument employed by Tobia (1992) in her study, the Pasao's Self-Concept Rating Scale. The said Rating Scale measured ten indicators: "not-me", emotionality, goal directedness, accepting attitudes, family relations, peer relations, identity, self-feeling, personal worth andself-confidence The overall scores obtained by the respondents in the Rating Scale were interpreted as either positive or negative using the norm set by Pasao with a reference mean of 334. Findings of the study showed that females have higher incidence of physical abnormalities than males. Most of them are Roman Catholics, the eldest children, enrolled as second-year students and with three siblings in the family. They considered themselves as sports minded individuals. Majority of the respondents have visual irregularities. They also claimed that such abnormalities are congenital in nature. Results, likewise, revealed that all the ten indicators ofself-concept taken singly and as a whole yielded mean score below the norm. This means that the respondents have a negative impression or project a poor self-concept about themselves.