IN FOCUS: Explore the future of profession - 2022

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    Perceptions of educational experiences among Sinhala speaking adolescents with dyslexia in Sri Lanka
    (University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2022) Nishshanka, K.P.N.H.; Caldera, A.V.
    Background: This study focuses on the perception of adolescents with dyslexia and experiences in educational settings, the online educational system, and the accommodations provided in educational settings. Evidence shows that dyslexia is heavily influenced by educational, social, and emotional experiences across the life span. It appears that mainly environmental factors influence children’s academic success. Objectives: The general objective is to explore thoughts and views of adolescents with dyslexia on their educational experience in Sri Lanka. The specific objectives of the study were to explore the perceptions of experiences in an educational setting of adolescents with dyslexia (age 10-19), to explore the experiences related to the current online school system, and to describe the perceptions of educational accommodations provided by educational settings for adolescents with dyslexia. Methods: A qualitative study design was used as the study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom or WhatsApp video call in the Sri Lankan context. Twelve (12) adolescents with dyslexia aged between 10-19 years were interviewed through purposive sampling. The researcher also contacted speech therapists through private clinics and the Ayati centre. Data were analysed by using the IPA analysis method. Results: In educational contexts, participants have both positive and negative experiences. Most of them have negative academic experiences than positive. However, rather than focus on academic work, their tendency was to focus on extracurricular activities. As a Low Middle-Income Country (LMIC), attending to online classes was a significant challenge. Some children don't have access and the majority have connectivity problems. While some of them benefit from accommodations provided by their educational environment, others lack access to a well-regarded accommodation program. Conclusion: In conclusion, most children with dyslexia perceive negative experiences. However, it has been possible to succeed in their lives with more help from family and from education settings, which depends on the perception of the adolescents, teachers, and parents. Participants from rural areas and lower economic families report typically negative experiences. This study exposed that family support is essential to their educational success.
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    Teachers’ knowledge on symptoms, attitudes, and classroom teaching strategies for Specific Learning Disabilities: A study among Tamil speaking primary school teachers in the Nuwara Eliya Educational Zone, Sri Lanka
    (University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2022) Kanagendran, K.; Caldera, A.V.
    Background: A learning disability is a condition that is characterized by difficulties with listening, speaking, reading, writing or mathematics. Dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia are the most common learning disabilities. The primary level teachers carry a significant responsibility in identifying children with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the teachers’ levels of knowledge and their attitudes towards children with specific learning disabilities, and their use of classroom strategies when working with children with specific learning disabilities in the Nuwara Eliya Educational Zone. Methods: A sample of 167 Tamil primary school teachers were recruited for the study. A descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study was used to collect information from the participants. The questionnaire was developed based on evidence-based research. In addition, a convenient sampling method was used. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Software was used to analyze the data. Results: The majority of the teachers were females (69.3%-n = 115). Most of the teachers were aware of SLD characteristics as 77.7% (n =129) of the participants believed that language-based learning disability is called dyslexia. Also, 23.5% (n=39) teachers reported that students with dysgraphia mix up upper/lower case/cursive writing. More than 42.2% (n = 70) teachers believe that pupils who have difficulty in measuring (weight/distance/time) have dyscalculia. Most of the teachers had a personal experience of at least one student with SLD who has difficulty taking notes in the class. Although most of the teachers understand the challenges, nearly 121 out of 165 primary teachers agree that they have insufficient time to teach students with SLD. Conclusion: Most of the primary teachers had a basic understanding of SLD identification and characteristics. Teachers are also aware of how to use classroom strategies for students with SLD. However, teachers frequently use those strategies for the entire class and are unaware of specific strategies like Individual Education Plans. In addition, the majority of the teachers had a reasonable understanding of the difficulties experienced by children with SLD.