134

Journal  of  ICSAR
ISSN (print): 2548-8619; ISSN (online): 2548-8600
Volume 1 Number 2 July 2017

Developing Self-Knowledge and Occupation of  Student with Physically Handicapped

Endang Pudjiastuti Sartinah 

Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia
E-mail: endangsartinah@unesa.ac.id

Abstract: This research aimed at describing the process of developing self-knowledge and occupation 
of student with physically handicapped. It started by identifying and doing needs assessment for the 
future career targets, planning the development progress of career guidance for them, drawing the quality 
of career guidances. The proceduere development od research adapts the theory by Brophy (2002), It’s 
consist are reaching and collection of information then the planning and development of products. The 
final product of the module with CIP models was revised as an attempt to develop the potential for future 
careers of student with physically handicapped.

Keywords: self-knowledge and occupation, module

Recent studies related to counseling for career guidance 
were developed nowadays. This research enhance the 
previous research about module development which 
explain the development and instructional  evaluation 
on the deployment of career maturity for young people 
with learning difficulties. And this completion is related 
to  the career development of students with physically 
handicapped.

Career guidance is a process of service and help 
given by a counselor or a tutor to students and to a group 
of students at all ages throughout the span of their lives 
to educate themselves, to knowing the environment in 
form of world of employment, and to determine the 
choice of education, training, and selection of career in 
adjusting to the demands of employment. In turn, this 
guidance can help to devise a plan to make decisions 
and manage the careers of individuals (McDaniel in 
Herr and Cramer, 1984: Organization for Economic 
Co-operation and Development of the European 
Commission/OECD, 2004; Munandir, 1996). Students 
with physical handicapped experience the inability 
to knowledge themselves, especially towards their 
attitude, ability, and personality. Meanwhile, the 
knowledge of individual thinking towards occupation, 
and the relation between self-knowledge and the desired 
occupation requires career guidance services that help 
to improve the knowledge of self and occupation. 
This study develops module for self-knowledge and 
occupation for physically handicapped students.

Based on the previous mentioned problems,  
Special School students’ self-knowledge and occupation 
is still lacking. This can be seen in their view on several 
things such as interests, ability, personality, values, and 
attitudes. In addition, the students’ knowledge towards 
occupation is still low, especially in identifying the 

ideals or the mindset of people towards occupation and 
the link between self-knowledge to the desired jobs. 
In connection with these problems, the main task of 
the counselors and teachers is to help in developing 
self-knowledge and occupation for student with 
physically handicapped. Therefore, the problem in 
the development of research can be stretched to the 
fact that there is currently no career guidance to help 
and developments elf-knowledge and occupation-
knowledge for students.

Related to the self knowledge and occupation 
knowledge, Peterson et al., (1991); Peterson et 
al., (2002); Sampson et al. (1999); Sampson et 
al., (2000); Sharf (2002); Osbornet al. (in Zunker, 
2002), have a theory known as the theory of Cognitive 
Information Processing (CIP) explained that there 
are three domains involved in career choices and 
problem solving, namely: (1) knowledge domain, 
(2) decision making skills domain, and (3) executive 
processing domain. Theories CIP as stated in the 
choice of career and solving the problem, then there is 
one among domains developed in the model of career 
guidance for self-knowledge and occupation knowledge 
for students with physically handicapped, which is the 
domain of knowledge or understanding (knowledge 
domains). The strength of domain knowledge or 
understanding (knowledge domains) on the theory 
CIP is that someone in planning career started through 
the provision of knowledge or understanding.  Giving 
knowledge or understanding in students with physical 
handicapped from the outset meant that students have 
prepare well for a career in the future. In order for 
students since the beginning of preparation to prepare 
for a career in the future, hence the reason for taking 
the field of knowledge (knowledge domain) that was 
developed in the model of career guidance for self-



135Endang Pudjiastuti Sartinah, Developing Self-Knowledge and Occupation of  Student with . . . .

knowledge and occupation knowledge of students  
with physically handicapped, also based on the 
characteristics and needs of students with physically 
handicapped.

Model development career guidance for self-
knowledge and occupation knowledge of the work 
on the knowledge domains, consisting of (1) a 
sense of self (self knowledge) include: (a) interest, 
(b) the ability (abilitas), (c) personality, (d) the 
value and attitude, and (2) understanding of the 
work (occupational knowledge) include: (a) the ideals 
or the mindset of individuals towards work, (b) the 
link between self-understanding to the field of work 
you want to learn (Zunker, 2002: 135-136, in Sartinah, 
2012),

Students with physically handicapped in Special 
School experience the inability to educate themselves, 
especially towards their attitude, ability, and 
personality. Meanwhile, the knowledge of individual 
thinking towards occupation, and the relation between 
self-knowledge and the desired occupation requires 
career guidance services that help to improve the self 
knowledge and occupation. This study develops a 
guide that is packaged effectively and efficiently in the 
form of career guidance module for self-knowledge 
and occupation for physically handicapped students.

Development of career guidance module for self-
knowledge and occupation of students with physically 
handicapped that they can understand themselves 
including: (1) interest, (2) ability, (3) personality, (4) 
values and attitudes. For an understanding of occupation 
which includes: (1) the mindset of people towards work 
/ ideals, (2) the link between self-understanding with 
the work to be occupied. While the module form of 
career guidance for self-knowledge and occupation 
knowledge on students with physical handicapped 
include: (1) general purpose, (2) a special purpose, (3) 
step-by-step guidance consisting of: (a) preparation, 
(b) the implementation of career guidance consisting 
of: develop individual learning plans,  Implement 
the plans of individual learning, (3) structuring the 
cognitive, using the individual procedure of: identify, 
challenge, change and take action, and the last step that 
is (4) summary and generalization.

Hallahan & Kauffman, 1991; Soemantri 2007 
states that physically handicapped means a damaged 
or disrupted condition caused by body  interference 
or obstacles in the form of bones, muscles or joints in 
normal functioning. This condition can be caused by 
illness or accident, or it can also be caused by inborn.  
While Hallahan & Kauffman, 1991; Tarmansyah 1985, 
states that physically handicapped are various types of 
physical disorders, which are associated with motor 
skills and some accompanying symptoms that lead 
to person experiencing barriers to attending formal 
education, as well as the process of adjustment to the 

environment.
Hallahan & Kauffman, 1991; Soemantri, 2007, 

revealed the characteristics of a physically handicapped, 
as follows:

In general, human development can be divided 
into physical and psychological aspects. The physical 
aspect is potentially growing and must be growth by the 
individual. In students with physically handicapped, 
that potential is not intact,  because some imperfect 
body parts . In efforts to actualize theirself, the 
disability condition experienced by students with 
physically handicapped are usually compensated by 
other parts of the body. For example if there is damage 
to the right hand, the left hand will be more developed 
as a compensation for the deprivation endured right 
hand. In addition, damage to one part of the body even 
less likely to cause damage to other body parts. For 
example, damage to one of the hip will result in the 
tilt of the location of the hip bone. In general physical 
development of students with physical handicapped 
can be said to be almost  same as normal, except for 
body parts that were damaged or other body parts that 
are affected by the damage.

According to Piaget, the greater  obstacles 
experienced by students in assimilating and 
communicating with the environment, the greater 
the obstacles experienced by students in cognitive 
development, thus inhibiting the students to do process 
of assimilation perfectly. The effects  of age when 
physically handicapped start to happen, did not show 
significant effect on the ability of individuals. Except 
when physically handicapped greatly inhibit the all of 
the normal functions. When physically handicapped 
occur in older students, then at least the students 
can learn certain skills and function – a and already 
progressed to a certain point of development. However, 
keep in mind that things like this for such a students is 
a setback. The child ever experiences live like a normal 
child and it is a difficult thing to adapt itself to the 
circumstances of the physically handicapped.

In general it can be said that until a certain age 
limit the physically handicapped condition will 
affect the person rate of development and types of 
development. Physically handicapped experienced that 
at the older age show a smaller effect on the rate of 
development but cause greater psychological effect.

There were  lot of research that aims to determine 
the level of intelligence of students with physical 
handicapped. The results have been widely used as 
topics for  interesting discussion. Some of the things 
that is often disputed is the use of intelligence test 
tools which is suitable for students with physical 
handicapped.  The test of intelligence for students  
like Stanford - Binnet, WISC, and CPM is often 
used. The of weakness of those test is, is that suitable 



136 Journal of ICSAR; Volume 1, Number 2, July 2017: 134-139

for students with physical handicapped? and its often 
lead to attempts to modify the test, or devise a test that 
appears to be more suitable for students with physical 
handicapped. The test is for exampl e: Haeusserman 
Test for light physically handicapped, Illinois Test (The 
psycholinguistics ATP), and the Peabody Picture 
Vocabulary Test.

Although there have been efforts to modify 
intelligence tests of students with physically 
handicapped, but it is difficult of the tests can be 
used in their entirety for all students with physically 
handicapped. There is a weakness of physically 
handicapped students in perception, there are 
some of them have weakness in speaking and 
modelling. Therefore, it certainly requires a different 
test forms. For example there are students with physical 
handicapped are only matched by an oral test, etc.

Language is the main communication tool for 
humans, human language can relate to one another, 
and with the language too one can express thoughts, 
feelings, and intentions in others. All humans have 
the potential to speak, the potential to develop into a 
conversation speaking through a process that goes in 
line with the readiness and maturity of sensory motor. 
In students with physically handicapped types of polio, 
the development of language / speech not so different 
from normal students.

According to the research conducted by 
psychologists and experts on science education shows 
specifically not cause interference on the emotional 
life of students with physical handicapped. However, 
many problems arise in connection with the attitude 
of the normal students who interact with the students 
with physical handicapped. Furthermore, some studies 
suggest that the age when it starts to happen also 
influence the emotional development of students with 
physically handicapped.

The diversity influence of negative developments 
pose a risk of increased difficulties in adjustment to 
students with physical handicapped. This is closely 
related to the response of society towards students 
with physical handicapped. Actually positive social 
conditions show a tendency to neutralize the effect 
of physically handicapped condition. Therefore, the 
visibility of physically handicapped condition is an 
important factor in the adjustment of students with 
physical handicapped with the environment. That is 
because it can influence the normal students’ attitudes 
to students with physically handicapped. Physically 
handicapped condition which did not appear to be more 
allows the child to adjust rather than to the physically 
handicapped condition that appear.

In the development of the individual personality 
as a whole is affected by many things like as:

Degree of disability / difficulty due to handicapped 

condition, is an important variable in the development, 
although this can not be separated from the attitude 
of normal students against students with physical 
handicapped.

Physically handicapped age when it happened, 
to a certain extent affect the rate of development of 
the individual. Physically handicapped experienced 
at the age of bigger will show a smaller effect on the 
development of the physical, but it raises a larger effect 
on psychological development.

Visible or not the condition of disability, 
show the effect on the development of 
individual personality, especially regarding our 
bodies (body image). Physically handicapped child 
generally shows the attitude of inferiority, anxiety, and 
aggressive. It so happens because dealing with body 
image of students with physical handicapped. Physically 
handicapped condition influence the development 
of the individual personality is determined by the  
psychological value on abnormalities body part.

Family and community support to students with 
physical handicapped have a great influence because 
of the attitude of families and communities will affect 
the child’s personality development. Likewise, parents 
or community that shows refusal will result physically 
handicapped child feel inferior, feel helpless, feel 
inadequate, guilty, resentful, and so forth.

Public attitudes towards students with physical 
handicapped showed a very decisive influence on 
the development of the personality of the individual 
concerned. It is very closely related to the views of 
society today are looking at the size of someone’s 
success and his achievements. Limitations that carried 
physically handicapped who obstruct achievement such 
as normal students may cause insecurity and anxiety 
that interfere with the development of the child’s 
personality physically handicapped.

This research aim is to develop a module 
for counselors and teachers to accompany the 
implementation of career counseling for self knowledge 
and occupation knowledge for students with physical 
handicapped, which includes the following:

1. Describe the process of developing career 
guidance modules to identify and assess the needs and 
characteristics of students with physical handicapped, 
especially in the career, to make a plan, until stage to 
develop career guidance module for self knowledge 
and occupation knowledge

2. Knowing the quality by looking at the 
acceptability of career guidance module for self 
knowledge and occupation knowledge for students 
with physical handicapped through test od expediency, 
accuracy, and efficiency by an expert in the field of 
career guidance and special education experts.



137Endang Pudjiastuti Sartinah, Developing Self-Knowledge and Occupation of  Student with . . . .

METHOD

In this development research adapt the model 
of development research Brophy (2002), namely 1) 
searching and collecting information obtained from the 
field and relevant theories, 2) Planning and development 
of product formats conditioned authentically realized 
by test validation experts to revise the design of the 
product. Then the products tested to obtain the data 
in the form of suggestions, comments, and criticism 
from experts and potential users that can be used as a 
basis for improving the development of the resulting 
product. This parts include of : the design of the trial, 
the type of data, and the data analysis techniques.

The self-knowledge and occupation knowledge 
module for student with physically handicapped of 
Special School is conducted in two stages, the expert 
feedback  from content and design experts, and 
prospective users. On the career guidance module 
for self-knowledge and occupation for student with 
physically handicapped of Special School, the trial 
design products are based on the feedback by content 
and design experts, and also potential users.

The trial study on this subject is taken from Special 
School of  Physically Handicapped in East Java. This 
can be described by the following.

In analyzing the data, the quantitative data is 
analyzed quantitatively. The quantitative data obtained 
from test expert and user testing. The criteria used 
was based on the assessment given by experts and 
potential users by spreading the questionnaire. Data 
obtained from the questionnaire assessment experts 
and potential users are classified into four categories 
of answers (grades 1,2,3, and 4) and then converted 
into percentage form. The result of such conversion, as 
follows (Cronbach, 1990):
0% - 64% = 1, it is less appropriate / very less clear / 
very less appropriate, revised
65% - 79% = 2, less appropriate / less obvious / not 
appropriate, revised
80% - 89% = 3, right / clear / appropriate, not revised
90% - 100% = 4, very precise / clear / very appropriate, 
not revised

Based on expert assessment and field tests of the 
components of the development so that the components 
of development that received ratings 1 and 2, had to be 
revised  Because it shows the quality of the component 
is less viable and needs to be revised.

While the data obtained from interviews, 
comments, suggestions, criticism from experts and 
potential users are prepared and categorized based 
on aspects assessed. The data used as the basis to 
improve product component of guidance module for 
self-knowledge and occupation-  knowledge of  student 
with physically handicapped.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Findings

Based on the CIP models in domain knowledge 
covering self-knowledge and occupation that is 
developed in a cognitive information processing, 
Several steps have been Formulated as follows. 1) 
Initial interview, the primary goal for this step is to 
identify the problems in finding career problems faced 
by students with physical handicapped. In this initial 
step, the counselor and the teachers learn more about 
the skills of the students. Furthermore, they should 
focus on the building of trust and good relationship 
between the counselors, teachers, and the students. The 
counselors and the teachers share information about 
career to the students, so that the students can identify  
their possible career, 2) Assessment, this step focuses 
on how the students with physically handicapped 
can learn more about self-knowledge and occupation 
especially about  their ability and disability by reflecting 
and contemplating  their potentials, 3) the problem 
of defining and analyzing the causes, this step aims 
to help students with physically handicapped to find 
some career-related problems and to find the causes for 
Reviews those problems so that they can decide their 
own career path, 4) formulating direction, this step aims 
for giving the students direction to get the expected 
result based on the career guidance they have as an 
attempt to cross-collaborate between counselors and 
teachers, 5) developing plan, in this step, the individual 
learning plan is developed as an effort in getting the 
best result of the counseling, the which can be used as 
the learning source and activity that can help students 
meeting the requirements determined by the students 
with physically handicapped, 6) Applying individual 
learning plan, in this plan, both the counselors and 
the teachers helps the students by directing and guide 
them in the learning process of the students. Both of 
the counselors and teachers of Special School give 
information and clarification, or Strengthen students’ 
development in preparing and planning their future 
career, and 7) summarizing and generalizing, in this 
last step, students have been trained by the teachers and 
counselor. In this step, students are hoped to be able 
to draw a conclusion based on their career counseling 
activity. Next, the students with physically handicapped 
take advantage from the career guidance that they have 
done.

Discussion

Results Development of Career Guidance Module 
for Self Knowledge and Occupation of Students 
with  Physically handicapped in Special School in 
Theoretical Context



138 Journal of ICSAR; Volume 1, Number 2, July 2017: 134-139

Based on the prototype module of career guidance 
for self knowledge and occupation of students with 
physically handicapped, produce counselors and 
special education teachers guide books, guide books 
for physically handicapped student, and career 
guidance materials. Then the shape of guidebooks 
career guidance from prototype service packages career 
guidance for self knowledge and occupation knowledge 
is classified from 1) an understanding of self (self 
knowledge), includes: (a) interest, (b) capability, (c) 
personality, (d) values and attitudes; 2) understanding 
of employment (occupation knowledge) consisting of: 
(a) the ideals / mindset of individuals towards work, (b) 
connects between jobs with the ability of self. 

On the other side the decision to choose the  domain 
knowledge in the service pack for self knowledge and 
occupation knowledge adjusted to the developmental 
age of students with physically handicapped in Special 
School. The next service pack for self knowledge 
and occupation knowledge implemented by using 
group counseling techniques through focus groups 
discussions (FGD) (Johnson & Johnson, 1987) students 
with physical handicapped of Special School.

Guidance is provided by the  focus group 
discussion  by physically handicapped students  of 
Special School.in career guidance for self knowledge 
and occupation based on a needs assessment to 
determine the current work of self-knowledge and 
guidance activities. That is, the introduction of self 
and work is important to know the students with 
physically handicapped in Special School in receiving 
information, know theirself, understand the wishes of 
others or express its wishes on others. Considering 
students with physically handicapped in Special 
School characteristics (Hallahan & Kauffman, 1986; 
Soemantri, 2007), general physical development 
physically handicapped can be said to be almost the 
same as a normal child except body parts that were 
damaged body parts that are affected by damage such 
physical. Physically handicapped conditions also 
hamper the process of assimilation.

Furthermore Herr & Cramer (1984), suggests 
the purpose of career guidance in secondary schools 
are to  help students to learn: (1) find a relationship 
between the achievements, values, educational 
aspirations and career preferences; (2) analyze the 
personal competence in the skills necessary for a 
career preferences and develop a plan to master 
the skills; (3) take responsibility for planning their 
careers and it consequences; (4) prepare to meet the 
terms of entering employment or training majoring in 
appropriate positions; (5) prepare themselves to meet 
the requirements to enter post-secondary education 
by taking courses that forced  by types of programs 
and institutions that entered; (6) develop knowledge 
and skills relating to life; (7) systematically examine 

alternative career preferences by linking their academic 
achievement and co-curricular activities; (8) identifies 
options on how to achieve the goals of education and 
occupational desired; (9) describe the type and form 
of post-secondary  education and registering the shape 
and type of education that is relevant to the career 
preferences; (10) makes an accurate estimate on private 
properties and achievements as well as actively present 
in your resume and during the interview occupation 
and education; (11) develop a specific plan to achieve 
career goals, and (12) implement career plans.

This is confirmed  by Pearsons (in Zunker, 2002: 
11) mentions that the important benefits of career 
guidance from its conceptual framework to help 
individuals choose a career. It defines it in two parts 
formulations as: 1) a sense of self that includes: (a) 
interest, (b) ability, (c) personality, (d) values and 
attitudes; (2) understanding of the work consists consist 
of: (a) ideals  / mindset of individuals towards work, (b) 
connection between jobs with the ability of self.

Accuracy and Feasibility of Development of Career 
Guidance Module for Self Knowledge and Occupation  
of Students with  Physically handicapped in Special 
School

The linkage accuracy and feasibility of career 
guidance module for self knowledge and occupation of 
students with  physically handicapped in Special School 
has been tested by counseling expert (expert I) which 
suggests that, 1) the book material of career guidance for 
students with physical handicapped in Special School, 
the design cover needs to be set  on writing for a more 
attractive format, 2) use of language is communicative 
but needs improvement a few sentences in accordance 
with the structure of the enhanced spelling 3) severala 
pictures  are irrelevant and size less professional.

While special education expert (expert II) suggests 
that: 1) the relation within each session or chapter must 
illustrated or by giving  interesting images 2) linkages 
of career guidance services textbooks, there is a 
mistake word in  paragraph which should be physically 
handicapped. 

Linkage to the accuracy and feasibility of the 
module of career guidance for self knowledge and 
self occupation shows a step and strategies through 
how to prepare and adjustment to assimilate, integrate 
knowledge and skills, experience and appreciation 
associated with self knowledge and occupation and 
activities that need to be done in spare time.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

In general, the goal of this development is to 
produce a career guidance module for self-knowledge 
and occupation for physically handicapped students that 



139Endang Pudjiastuti Sartinah, Developing Self-Knowledge and Occupation of  Student with . . . .

has been assessed for its acceptability. The following 
are the conclusions drawn that show the development 
of career guidance module for self-knowledge and 
occupation for students  with physically handicapped. 

The study is able le to produce the accuracy from 
the sets of steps and strategies of module for counselors 
and teachers,  

Based on the properness assessment of the models, 
it is noted that the assessment scores from two experts 
shows that the prototype of the career guidance module 
for self-knowl e dge and occupation in students has been 
able to be used for trial after the revision is conducted.

REFERENCES

Brophy. (2002). Design-Based Research: An Emerging 
Paradigm fo Educational Inquiry by The 
Design-Based Research Collective. Educational 
Researcher. Receive from http://er.aera.net

Herr, E. L., & Cramer, S. H. (1984). Through the 
Career Guidance and Counseling in the Life Span: 
Systematic Approaches. 2 nd Edition. Boston: 
Little, Brown & Company.

Munandir. (1996). Career Guidance Program In 
Schools. Jakarta: Department of Education, 
Director General of Higher Education.

Peterson, G. W., Sampson Jr, J. P., & Reardon, R. 
C. (1991). Career development and services: 
A cognitive approach. Thomson Brooks/Cole 
Publishing Co.

Peterson, G. W., Sampson Jr, J. P., Lenz, J. G., & 
Reardon, R. C. (2002). A cognitive information 
processing approach to career problem solving and 
decision making. Career choice and development, 
4, 312-369.

Sampson, J. P., Lenz, J. G., Reardon, R. C., & Peterson, 
G. W. (1999). A cognitive information processing 
approach to employment problem solving and 
decision making. The Career Development 
Quarterly, 48(1), 3-18.