Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the Impact of Dysgsaphia on Pupil’s Academic Achievements in primary Schools in Njinikom Sub Division, Boyo Division, Boyo Division of the North West Region of Cameroon.

In order to be able to carry out this study, four research questions were formulated and used which are: Does late and poor foundation of writing have an impact on the academic achievements of pupils in primary schools? What are the contributions of regular school teachers towards the academic achievements of pupils with Dysgraphia? How does poor sitting posture impact the academic achievement of pupils in primary schools?

The survey design was used as the research design and with the use of a simple random technique, four schools in Njinikom Sub Division were selected with a sample size of twenty-two teachers from the four schools respectively.

Data was collected from these teachers with the aid of questionnaires which served as the research instrument. Data gotten from the field was presented in tables with the use of percentages and analyzed.

Literature from the findings, it was seen that parents, teachers, and pupils suffering from Dysgraphia contribute to their poor academic achievement and that teachers and parents are the people who can help remedy the situation.

Recommendations were suggested for pupils with dysgraphia, teachers, parents, and the school administrators to help solve this problem. Suggestions for further research were made in secondary and higher institutions of learning and in the different regions of the country.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Writing is a skill highly valued in our society, even in a time of computers and technology. In the past, the handwriting was prized because it was a primary form of communication; people need to get notes to others that were legible (Ediger, 2002).

Now that typewriters and printers are used to communicate between people; handwriting has become a rare form of communication. However, handwriting is still a critical skill and needed for many reasons that people might not readily recognized.

Writing notes, recipes, prescriptions, messages, checks, and filling out applications are among a few reasons why the developing and teaching of handwriting skills needs to be continued in schools and at homes.

Additionally, research has shown that handwriting is casually related to writing, and that explicit and supplemental instruction of handwriting are important elements in an elementary program to prevent writing difficulties (Graham, Harris, & Fink, 2000).

The world today is full of many disabilities which are caused by accidents, natural disasters, drugs, genetic defects, alcoholism and many others. These causes could further be grouped into environmental, pre-natal, peri-natal, and post-natal causes.

The most common types of disabilities people know and talk about today are visual impairment, hearing, physical, speech, and language disorders, mental retaliation or intellectual disability, and emotional behavioral disorders.

Learning disabilities is relatively a new field of exceptionalities compared to others. The most common types of learning disabilities that are eminent in schools today include dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and auditory and visual processing.

Dysgraphia which is the main focus simply refers to writing disabilities and is one of the unpronounced learning disabilities which are often taken into consideration and often has a drastic impact on pupils academic achievement.

Background Of Study

Dysgraphia comes from two Greek words “dys” meaning difficulty and “graphia” meaning writing. Thus it can be defined as a writing disability which a person finds it hard to form or write within a defined space. Dysgraphia has five types, which are: Dyslexic, Motor, Spatial, Phonological, and Lexical dysgraphia.

Learning disabilities is a relatively new field of exceptionality because the prior to the late 1960s, it was virtually unrecognized. It became popular when the association of children with learning disabilities (ACLD) was organized in 1963.

Dysgraphia or writing disabilities is a type of learning disability that is classified under academic disabilities. It is commonly found in children with dyslexia.

Special education became a reality in Cameroon in the 1960s, yet the Cameroon government is still very timid about its institutional provision. Yuh and Shey (2008) assert the introduction of special education to have started in Cameroon by the western Christian missionaries who wiped away harsh beliefs and traditions towards people who had disabilities as numbers of such children were taught alongside other children without disabilities.

With the creation of the Ministry of Social Affairs in 1975, a department of National Solidarity was established to oversee the wellbeing of people with disabilities and the very old.

This department in collaboration with the Ministries of Education has put in some efforts to improve the education of persons with disabilities. Thus, the creation of many privately owned special schools or institutions in almost all regions of the country, with some receiving yearly subsidies from the state.

The only law in Cameroon which addresses the needs of persons with disabilities is law No.83/13 of July 1983 relating to the protection of persons with disabilities.

The conditions for implementing this law are laid down in Decree No.90/15/16 of 26 November 1990. Article 3 law No. 83/13 of July 1983 focuses on the education of children with disabilities.

To ensure the proper digestion of the 1983 law, the Minister of National Education issued circular No. 86/1/658/MINEDUC/CTZ of January 13, 1986, calling on all National Education Authorities to implement the 1983 law by giving priority, easing and facilitating the enrolment of children with disabilities in public and private schools. This circular letter also stated that punishment will be meted out to recalcitrant headteachers and teachers who go against 1983 law.

Academic achievement means the ability of a successfully acquiring reading, writing, and studying, using his or her efforts and skills.

Dysgraphia has a great impact on pupils’ academic achievements in primary schools. It is also an important issue that has to be addressed because, in order to communicate with people, one has to use either speech or writing.

Thus in the classroom, pupils express their ideas by talking or by writing in order for the teacher to determine the level of achievement.

Again for the teaching-learning process to go on smoothly the pupils must write for the teacher to correct and if this is not well done, the teacher now faces difficulties in accessing the learners.

A majority of pupils passed through the primary schools unable to identify letters of the alphabet notwithstanding writing them accurately. Others still observe no placement of letters and words on lines.

With this, there is a need for primary school authorities to collaborate with special educators and physiotherapists to help remedy the situation of pupils who have dysgraphia. Thus there is a need for the management of dysgraphia as many people have made a living out of good writing.

Statement Of Problem

Writing is a tool subject and it is absolutely imperative for other subjects and everyday use. The handwriting of most pupils poses a lot of problems to the teachers who mark and correct their books and notes.

Most of the primary school pupils fail both public and class exams not because they are not knowledgeable, but because they present the material in bad or poor handwriting which makes it difficult for the markers to see and understand what they have written.

This is often due to spacing problems, poor letter formation and eligibility of letters, and slow writing.

Dysgraphia seems to be a major setback on pupils’ academic achievement and so if the teaching and learning of handwriting is not taken very seriously, difficulties in correcting pupil exercise books will continue and the end will be an undesirable failure, hence poor academic achievement.

Objectives Of The Study

Main objective of the study

The main objective of the study is to investigate the impact of dysgraphia on pupil’s academic achievement in primary schools in Njinikom Sub-Division, Boyo Division of the North West Region of Cameroon.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of the study are:

1. To investigate how late and poor foundation in writing impacts pupils academic achievements in primary schools.
2. To determine how poor sitting posture impacts the academic achievements of primary school pupils with dysgraphia.
3. To assess the contribution of regular teachers towards the academic achievement of primary school pupils with dysgraphia.
4. To determine how inadequate writing materials influence the writing of pupils with dysgraphia.

Read Also: REGULAR TEACHERS’ ATTITUDE AND ITS EFFECTS TOWARDS LEARNERS WITH DYSGRAPHIA IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE BUEA MUNICIPALITY