Design Education for Students with Disabilities: A Technical Graffiti Course in a High School

Abstract

The emotional turmoil in the learning process can affect the overall outcome of learning, especially for students with disabilities, where negative emotions are often the biggest factor affecting learning outcomes. Therefore, this study uses a technical graffiti class in a special education senior secondary school as the research context to explore how students with disabilities solve practical problems in learning and overcome frustration and anxiety in the process of facing a new environment. The main objective of this study is to develop a design course for students with disabilities. Based on the concept of positive psychology, the curriculum is designed to motivate learners to learn positively, to encourage students to overcome their fears, and to express themselves in order to increase their willingness to learn. In this study, a contextual action research approach was adopted to build positive emotions through skill learning and color creation. Then, through experiential training and education, students were able to simulate the workplace application of their learning. The findings of this study revealed that there is a close correlation between learning outcomes and positive teaching. The curriculum planning and design in special education were discussed, reviewed, revised, and agreed upon in collaboration with the researchers, resulting in learning outcomes that are in line with the aims of the curriculum design, including contextual education, skills learning, and the color expression techniques project, which enhance learners’ thinking skills and build their self-confidence.