IDENTIFICATION OF SLOW LEARNERS IN MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS: ASSESSMENT OF THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS AND ACADEMIC INTERVENTIONS

Abstract

The present study was conducted to identify slow learners enrolled in mainstream classrooms, to assess their developmental skills and to see the effectiveness of academic interventions on their below average developmental skills. Shaw’s model (2000a) of mental health issues of slow learners provided the theoretical frame work for present study. The research was carried out in three parts. In the first part a sample of 114 slow learners was identified through subjective screening (teachers appraisal and attained achievement scores in their respective grades) and objective screening (their attained scores and corresponding percentile ranks i.e., 10th to below 25th on Ravens Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM; Raven, 1977). These children (age ranged from 5 years to 7 years and 11 months) were identified from main stream classrooms of both urban / rural areas and public / private sectors schools of District and Tehsil Sargodha (Punjab), Pakistan. The psychometric properties revealed that RCPM was a reliable and valid measure for identification of current sample of slow learners. Part II of research was carried out to assess level of developmental skills (Adaptive, Personal-Social, Communication, Motor and Cognitive) of identified slow learner through Battelle Developmental Inventory-2 {(BDI-2) (Newborg, 2005)}. Another objective of this part of study was to analyze the possible differentiation in developmental skills with reference to demographic variables i.e., gender (boy/girl), area (urban/rural), sector (govt. /private), age (5, 6, 7yr), grade (kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade), and socio economic status (high/ middle/ low). Consistent with the hypotheses the results showed that slow learners had below average adaptive, personal-social, communication, motor and cognitive developmental skills and they differ significantly in terms of their demographic characteristic. These differences were found to be significant in terms of gender where girls showed significant lead over boys in all domains of developmental skills, same was found to be true for urban area and private schools slow learners as they were more developed in comparison to rural area and public schools’ slow learners respectively. Over all comparisons of age grade and socio economic status revealed that slow learners who were in higher age 7-7.11 ranges, studying in higher academic group (2nd grade) and belonged to higher socioeconomic status (SES) had more advanced level of developmental skills compared to groups of medium or low level age (5-5.11 & 6-6.11 years) grade (grade KG & 1st grade) and SES. In part III, a small scale research was carried out to see the effectiveness of academic interventional teaching plan (Shaw, 2005) on developmental skills of slow learners (N = 10) through single group pre-test post-test design. Quantitative analyses of this part revealed that academic interventional teaching plan was highly effective in enhancing the overall developmental skills of slow learners which in-turns helped them to accommodate in the mainstream class rooms. Slow learners’ developmental skills of adaptive, communication and cognitive domains and their respective sub-domains were significantly improved by specifically developed interventional teaching plan whereas, these interventions remained silent and failed to show any positive effect on the domains and sub-domains of personal-social and motor skills with the exception of sub-domains of peer interaction and perceptual motor skills of personal-social and motor domains respectively. The findings were also confirmed by the qualitative analysis based upon content analysis of daily feedback reports prepared by class teachers about the child’s behavior (relevance to cultural context); information gathered through the class room observations and through the meeting with concerned parents and teachers of the slow learners. It was found that slow learners got maximum benefit of Academic Interventional Teaching Plan and about 90% students benefited from the review of concepts on weekly basis in a fun manner with the help of drama, role play, rhymes and storytelling. The present study may be concluded as slow learners enrolled in mainstream class rooms have borderline intelligence and below average developmental skills which can only be accommodated through a specifically designed academic interventions. The study had many and varied implications that have been discussed under the umbrella of Developmental and Educational Psychology frameworks