Strategies Used by the Grade I Teachers

in Handling Pupils with Handwriting

Difficulties In Naval Central

SchoolMIRAMAR M. SERRION

MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION(MAED)DR. LUDITO V. RAMIREZ

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

INTRODUCTIONHandwriting is a means of expressing

language, just like speech, it also leaves a lasting trace. Some call it ‘language by hand’. It is a physical way of expressing thoughts and ideas and a means of communication with others.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Handwriting may not seem like an important skill considering how often we type, but even in the 21stcentury we still need to write legibly. Handwriting skills are especially important for young students because young students typically think and handwrite at the same time. For those students, concentrating on handwriting tasks may take away from their focus on composition and thinking tasks. We should also be concerned about handwriting because early handwriting problems can be indications that the student will experience difficulty later in life with written expression and expressive language (Graham et al., 1997).

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

It is typical for children to have difficulty with handwriting when they are very young. Classroom instruction for grades K-3 usually includes some component of handwriting practice. That early instruction may not help students with learning disabilities (LDs), because students with LDs may have poor hand-coordination, require context-specific instruction, and are, in general, typically less efficient learners than their peers (Graham, 1999).

RESEARCH PROPOSAL If they are still having difficulty by grade four, students with

LDs may have missed the opportunity because classroom instruction does not often include handwriting after grade three (Abbott & Berninger, 1993). Persistent difficulties with handwriting past the early grades may negatively influence how the teacher perceives the student’s written work. Poor handwriting skills may cause the student to avoid handwriting, thereby reducing opportunities for practice. By the time students with LDs are in grade eight, their expressive writing skills, such as handwriting, are on average five times lower than the skills of their classmates (Datchuk & Kubina, 2012).

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Difficulties with handwriting faced by students with LDs are particularly troubling because handwriting troubles go beyond the mechanical task. Handwriting is known as “language by hand” (Berninger, Abbott, Abbott, Graham, & Richards, 2002), which means that it is more than simply forming letters on the page (motor skills). For some young students, weak fine motor skills can explain why handwriting is so difficult. But that is not the entire story. Weak fine motor skills account only for some of their difficulties. Researchers believe that memory processes and the application of written text rules (e.g. spelling, capitalization) are also related to handwriting. Experts agree that handwriting is a complex process that requires coordination of thinking skills and doing skills (Datchuk & Kubina, 2012; Graham & Perin, 2007).

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Objective of the Study 1. To determine the problems encountered by the grade 1

teachers in handling pupils with handwriting difficulties. 2. To identify the strategies used by the grade 1 teachers in

handling pupils with handwriting difficulties 3. To craft an intervention scheme that will improve the

strategies used by the grade 1 teachers.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Methodology

This part of the research design , research subject locale, data gathering procedure, research instrument, data scoring, data analysis/statistical treatment data .

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Research Design

This study utilized the qualitative and survey research design. Grade 1 teachers were personally interviewed in order to elicit data like the strategies they used in handling pupils with handwriting difficulties as well as the problems they met in using the said strategies. It covered all grade 1 class.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Research Locale

This study will be conducted in Naval Central School, Naval,Biliran.

Research Respondents

The respondents of this study will be the Grade 1 pupils and teachers handling Grade 1 class.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Data Gathering Procedure:

In the data gathering of this study, it is important to seek permission for the different authorized persons. The questionnaire will be the main tool in gathering data. The researcher will distribute questionnaire to the pupils and teachers. After they responds to the said questionnaire, it will be collated, tallied, analysed, interpreted and will be presented in tables that will be based on the variables of the study.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Data Analysis: After the data being collated and responses are coded, subjected into

and analysis using the appropriate statistical treatment . Descriptive statistics will be included as frequency counts, mean, and percentages. Results were presented in tabular and narrative forms.