Analysis of learners’ cognitive competences and the effective teaching of pupils with learning disabilities:A case study of hope academy nursery and primary school in Buea Fako sub- division of Cameroon
Keywords:
Cognitive competence, Executive function, Visual Perception, Effective Teaching
Abstract
The study set out to analyse the cognitive competence of children (7years and above) as a basis for the effective teaching of children with learning disability. The study examined the extent to which the analysis of pupils' executive function and visual perception competences influence the effective teaching of children with learning disability. A pre-test post-test quasi- experimental research design was used and participants were selected purposively. A sample size of 10 pupils with learning disability was used. A diagnostic test and an observation checklist with items corresponding to the needs of the pupils was used to analyze pupils’ cognitive competences while a written test was used to establish the extent of teacher effectiveness. A reliability test was conducted to assess internal consistency using the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient reliability analysis which stood at 0.84. Data collected from the field were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings showed that both executive functions and visual perception analysis have a significant influence on the effective teaching of reading and writing to children with learning disabilities. Recommendations included the fact that policies and proper mechanisms be put in place to ensure that teachers are adequately trained and equipped with modern teaching and learning strategies that will enable them accommodate learners with learning disability
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Westwood, P. (2008). What teachers need to know about reading and writing difficulties. Victoria: Acer.
Alberta Education. (2019). Accountability in Alberta’s k to 12 education system. Retrieved from https://www.alberta.ca/accountability-education-system.aspx
Altemeier, L., Jones, J., Abbot, R.D and Berninger, V.W. (2006). Executive functions in becoming writing readers and reading writers: note taking and report writing in third and fifth graders. Dev Neuropsychol, 29, 161-173
Alvarez J, Emory E.(2006).Executive function and the frontal lobes: a meta-analysis. Neuropsychology Review, 16:17-42.
Anderson, P. (2002). Assessment and Development of Executive Function (EF) During Childhood. Child Neuropsychology, 8(2): 71-82.
Arslangazi, H (2012). Significance of visual perception in education of art history, Social and Behavioral Sciences 51 ( 2012 ) 244 – 248
Bastick, T. (1995). 3AF: The Three-Ability Framework for Assessment in Tertiary Education. Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Assessing Quality in Higher Education, Finland.
Carlson, S.M., Zelazo, P.D., and Faja, S. (2013). Executive Function. Oxford Handbook of Developmental Psychology, Vol.1 (pp.706-742). doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199958450.013.0025
Carroll, J. M. (2004). Letter knowledge precipitates phoneme segmentation, but not phoneme invariance. Journal of Research in Reading, 27(3), 212–225
Conners, F. A. (2009). Attentional control and the simple view of reading. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 22, 591–613. doi:10.1007/s11145-008-9126-x.
Engel de Abreu, P. M., Abreu, N., Nikaedo, C. C., Puglisi, M. L., Tourinho, C. J., Miranda, M. C. Martin, R. (2014). Executive functioning and reading achievement in school: a study of Brazilian children assessed by their teachers as "poor readers". Frontiers in psychology, 5, 550. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00550
Gioia, G. A., Isquith, P. K., Kenworthy, L., & Barton, R. M. (2002). Profiles of everyday executive function in acquired and developmental disorders. Child Neuropsychology, 8, 121–137.
Goulden, L.G. & Silver, C.H. (2009). Concordance of the children’s executive functions scale with established tests and parent rating scales. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 27, 439-451.
Hughes, C., & Ensor, E. (2011). Individual differences in growth in executive function across the transition to school predict externalizing and internalizing behaviors and self-perceived academic success at 6 years of age. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 108(3), 663–676. doi:20.1016/ jcep.2010.06.005.
Hughes, C., & Graham, A. (2002). Measuring executive functions in childhood: Problems & solutions? Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 7, 131-142.
Jooste, C &Jooste, M. 2005. Intellectual impairment. In Landsberg, E, Krüger, D &Nel, N. Addressing barriers to learning. A South African perspective. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers, 380-404.
Kame’enui, Edward & Fuchs, Lynn & Francis, David & Good, Roland & O’Connor, Rollanda & Simmons, Deborah & Tindal, Gerald &Torgesen, Joseph. (2006). The Adequacy of Tools for Assessing Reading Competence: A Framework and Review. Educational Researcher. 35. 3-11. 10.3102/0013189X035004003.
Lennox, C. (1998). Phonological and orthographic processes in good and poor. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Leong, C. K. (1998). Strategies used by 9 to 12 year-old children in written spelling. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Lezak M.( 2004).Neuropsychological Assessment. Oxford University Press; New York:
Meuwissen, A.S., and Zelazo, P.D. (2014). Hot and Cool Executive Function: Foundations for Learning and Healthy Development. Zero to Three, 35(2): 18-23.
Moats, L. (1998). Reading, spelling, and writing disabilities in the middle grades. In B. Wong (Ed.), Learning about learning disabilities (2nd ed.) (pp. 367-389). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
National Joint Committee for learning disabilities (2011). Learning Disabilities: Implications for Policy Regarding Research and Practice: A Report by the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 34,( 4) 237-241
Olatoye R.A. (2006). Science Teacher Effectiveness as a Predict Students Performance in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination. Journal of Educational Studies, 6, 104-110
Paterson, D (2007). Teachers' In-Flight Thinking in Inclusive Classrooms 40, (5), 427-435
Rosenzweig, C., Krawec, J., & Montague, M. (2011). Met cognitive strategy use of eighth-grade students with and without learning disabilities during mathematical problem solving: A think-aloud analysis. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44, 508-520. doi: 10.1177/0022219410378445
Russo, D.(2016).Competency Measurement Model. European Conference on Quality in Official Statistics (Q2016) Madrid, 31 May-3June 2016. https://www.ine.es/q2016/docs/q2016Final00276.pdf
UNESCO, (2008). Education for all Global monitoring report. France: UNESCO
Vaughn, S., Linan -Thompson, S and Hickman, P. (2003). Response to instruction as a means of identifying students with reading/learning Disabilities, Exceptional Children, 49, 391-409
Visual Institute (n.d). Visual Perception Assessment And Therapy. Retrieved from https://www.visioninstitutecanada.com/services/visual-perception-assessment-and- therapy.html
Watson, MRS., Gable, R.A., Morin, L.L (2016) The Role of Executive Functions in Classroom Instruction of Students with Learning Disabilities. Int J Sch Cog Psychol 3: 167. doi:10.4172/2469-9837.100016
Watson,S; Gable, R and Morin, L (2016). The Role of Executive Functions in Classroom Instruction of Students with Learning Disabilities. International Journal of School and Cognitive Psychology, 3 (1) 1-5
Welsh, J. A., Nix, R. L., Blair, C., Bierman, K. L., and Nelson, K. E. (2010). The development of cognitive skills and gains in academic school readiness for children from low-income families. J. Educ. Psychol. 102, 43–53. doi: 10.1037/ a0016738
Westwood, P. (2008). What teachers need to know about reading and writing difficulties. Victoria: Acer.
Published
2021-02-25
How to Cite
[1]
Margaret Nalova Endeley and Ndindeng Nchang Shilum 2021. Analysis of learners’ cognitive competences and the effective teaching of pupils with learning disabilities:A case study of hope academy nursery and primary school in Buea Fako sub- division of Cameroon. International Journal on Integrated Education. 4, 2 (Feb. 2021), 327-335. DOI:https://doi.org/10.17605/ijie.v4i2.1263.
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