The transition into adult life questionnaire of students with special educational needs-training paths in the portuguese educational system: Construction and validation1,2

Abstract

The transition into adult life (TAL) is an emerging theme in educational research and practice, with few responses to societal challenges arising from the relationship between academic curriculum and the labor market. The evaluation of its quality lacks instruments. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to describe the construction of the TAL questionnaire-training paths built for the purpose to analyze its psychometric properties. The questionnaire was administered at national level to 616 professionals in five dimensions: TAL; Adequations in the Learning Process; Training Paths-Education and Training Courses (ETC); Training Paths-Individual Transition Plan (ITP); TAL in relation to the Labor Market. Reliability for internal consistency has a total Cronbach’s alpha of .94. Exploratory factor analysis demonstrated the suitability of the model, explaining 44.02% of the total variance. The questionnaire seems to be a valid tool for collecting information about TAL, and students’ career prospects. The school does not seem to have the ideal conditions, and a greater articulation with the companies is essential. The need for more specialized resources training required the construction of an organizational model, supported by the articulation and complementarity in the process, role and responsibilities of the intervening actors.