AD ALTA
JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
Based on table 6 and the calculated p-value it is evident that
pupils who leave words out in reading (26.08% of the pupils)
make more mistakes to a statistically significant extent, mainly
in the areas of visual separation (figure/background
differentiation) (p=0.005) and in spatial (two-dimensional)
orientation (p=0.013) than the students who do not leave words
out in reading (73.91% of the pupils). This area is not, based on
the calculated p-value, and directly related to auditory
perception, visual differentiation and memory, spatial orientation
– body scheme, time sequence perception and intermodal
relationships.
Regarding the word guessing category, table 7 makes it evident
that pupils (56.52%) who guess words in reading make more
mistakes on a statistically significant basis in the area of auditory
separation (p=0.005); these findings were confirmed in all three
exercises in the subtest for this area. Furthermore, these pupils
make more mistakes in the areas of auditory differentiation of
speech (p=0.001), in visual separation (p=0.031), in time
sequence perception-auditory (p=0.000), in visual-auditory
intermodal relationship (p=0.049) than pupils who do not guess
words in reading (43.48%).
Table 8 shows that pupils who are held back in the transition
phase of double reading (47.83%) make more mistakes
(statistically significant) in the area of auditory separation
(p=0.000), auditory differentiation of speech (p=0.001), auditory
memory (p=0.002), visual separation (p=0.033), visual
differentiation of shapes (p=0.018), spatial orientation (p=0.009),
time sequence perception-auditory (p=0.000), time sequence
perception-visual (p=0.028), visual-auditory intermodal
relationship (p=0.020) than pupils not employing double reading
in reading.
The above facts were proved for the dependent variable fluent
reading (table 9), since students whose reading method was
fluent reading (45,65% of the pupils) made fewer mistakes on a
statistically significant basis in the areas of auditory separation
(p=0.000), auditory differentiation of speech (p=0.005), auditory
memory (p=0.005), visual separation (p=0.011), spatial
orientation (p=0.001), time sequence perception- auditory
(p=0.001), visual-auditory intermodal relationship (p=0.008)
than pupils who could not read fluently (54.35% of the pupils).
Mistakes in Reading Technique and Partial Cognitive
Functions
In evaluation of the independent variable – mistakes in reading
technique, the following categories were observed and analysed:
pupil confuses letters (similarly shaped, dissimilar letters),
leaves letters out, confuses syllables, leaves syllable out, and
adds syllables.
Analysing the variable – confusion of similarly shaped letters
(table 10), it was evident that pupils who confuse similarly
shaped letters (32.61%) make more mistakes on a statistically
significant basis in the areas related to the visual sphere,
particularly in visual separation (p=0.021), visual differentiation
of shapes (p=0.029) than pupils not confusing similarly shaped
letters (67.39% of the pupils). However, this variable has also
been confirmed in the relationship to auditory separation
(p=0.013), auditory differentiation of speech (p=0.036) including
spatial orientation (p=0.010).
Viewing table 11, it is evident that pupils who leave letters out in
reading (34.78% of students) make more mistakes on a
statistically significant basis mainly in the area of spatial
orientation (p=0.034), time sequence perception-visual
(p=0.022) including visual separation (p=0.019), auditory
separation (p=0.000), auditory differentiation of speech
(p=0.008) than pupils who did not leave letters out during
reading (65.22%).
Researching the variable – leaving syllables out (table 12)
similar results were found as for the variable of letters omission.
Furthermore, pupils who omitted syllables when reading
(32.61% of the pupils) made more mistakes on a statistically
significant basis in the areas of spatial orientation (p=0.006),
time sequence perception-visual (p=0.000), time sequence
perception-auditory (p=0.000) including visual separation
(p=0.009), auditory separation (p=0.000), auditory
differentiation of speech (p=0.001) than the pupils who did not
leave syllables out (67.39% of the pupils).
Reading Comprehension and Partial Cognitive Functions
All the above described facts have also been confirmed by the
following analysis, which was conducted within the context of
evaluating the independent variable – reading comprehension
using the correlation analysis method and its results are summed
up in the correlation table 13. The first row of the table states the
calculated Pearson correlation coefficient (r). To evaluate the
extent of correlation, we used Cohen's scale (1988) (table 13).
Thus table 14 allows us to state that the worse the pupil
reproduced the text the higher error rate he/she reached in partial
cognitive functions, i.e. in tactile perception and kinaesthetic
sense (r = 0.61), auditory separation (r = 0.64), auditory
differentiation of speech (r = 0.46), auditory memory (r = 0.55),
visual separation (r = 0.42), visual differentiation of shapes (r =
0.47), in spatial orientation (r = 0.41), time sequence perception-
auditory (r = 0.44), time sequence perception-visual (r = 0.38),
visual-auditory intermodal relationship (r = 0,52), in which the
measured correlation was moderate up to strong. The correlation
relationship measured for the auditory-visual intermodal
relationship was small (r = 0.21) and for the visual memory it
was insubstantial (r = 0.10).
4 Discussion
In connection to research results from descriptive and inductive
statistics of the current state and significant mutual relationships
of examined variables, the most important findings will be
described and compared with the available theoretical views,
since we have not registered any research works, whether in
Slovakia or abroad, dealing with the level and relationship of
reading competence and partial cognitive functions in 4th grade
pupils with MID educated in the conditions of school inclusion.
These most important findings are provided based on the main
research objective, particularly the analysis of the relationship
between the selected variables (reading competence, partial
cognitive functions) in 4th grade pupils with mild intellectual
disability educated in school inclusion at the Slovak Language
and Literature classes.
Research question 1: What is the reading level (reading
technique and method, reading comprehension) of 4th grade
pupils with mild intellectual disability educated in school
inclusion?
Based on the data collected, we can say that there are substantial
differences among 4th grade pupils with MID who are educated
by way of school inclusion in the area of reading method which
was documented in the preceding statistics. Out of the total
number of tested pupils (46), 54.35% of students could read the
text fluently; however, the pupils' reading method showed errors
which resided in reading by spelling (41.30% of the pupils),
confusion of letters during reading (15.22% of the pupils),
guessing words (56.52% of the pupils), in leaving words out
(26.09% of the pupils). The deficits of the pupils found in the
reading method also correlated with the higher error rate in the
area of spatial orientation.
This diversity in the reading technique and method in the pupils
with mild intellectual disability was also exhibited in the
insufficient reproduction of the text read, when less than a third
of the pupils was able to reproduce the text independently and as
many as 43.48% of the pupils did not understand the text they
had read. Furthermore, we have also found out that the pupils are
unable to reproduce the text even if assisted by questions, which
is a task which should already have been mastered in the 3rd
grade.
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