Education: How current research informs practice - Essay Example

?Education: How current research informs practice Introduction It is important to research on the behavioural problems of dyslexic in order to establish if they have biological origins and can be treated or are the result of the sense of helplessness that is usually experienced by most dyslexic students. Dyslexia is usually misunderstood by a dyslexic person’s friends, teachers, and sometimes even family. Uninformed people can dismiss a dyslexic student as being unintelligent or even demented in some way. This can result in seriously affecting the dyslexic student’s life and do even more harm on an intellectual capacity as the person starts to believe what others say about him or her. This, no doubt, must have occurred many times in the past when dyslexia had not been ‘discovered’ or counted as a learning disability that was not symbolic of being simple-minded. Studies on dyslexia ought to be an essential part of the curriculum in the teacher’s graduate studies in order to increase awareness on this disability. Dyslexia is a word that is usually misunderstood. The word itself has different parts- ‘dys’ essentially means ‘difficult’, while ‘lexia’ refers to language or words. Basically, the word ‘dyslexia’ literarily means ‘having trouble with words’. In spite of the different ways in which different people interpret the word dyslexia, medical experts and researchers still use the word to describe a specific type of reading disability. One of the misinterpretations of what dyslexia stands for is that it makes students experience word reversals whenever they start reading. While this characteristic is one of the many that are experienced by dyslexics, it is not the only one. Essentially, reading words backwards and writing are common issues that are experienced by almost all children when they first start learning how to read and write. As such, these qualities cannot be used to clarify dyslexia in young learners (Pollak, 2005). Dyslexia is a definite learning disability that has a neurobiological source. It is distinguished by difficulties with correct word recognition in school work, poor decoding abilities, and bad spelling. These problems result from a discrepancy in the phonological part of language which is usually unexpected in comparison to other cognitive abilities. Researchers have in the recent past used numerous methods and evaluating instruments to disprove or prove that dyslexia has a genetic source. These methods have included computerised axial tomography (CAT) scans conducted on dyslexic people, autopsies conducted on deceased dyslexics, to advanced technological tools such as the, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetic resonance imaging, single photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET). Even though researchers still do not agree on the causes of dyslexia, there all concur on the fact that the brain’s of normal people differ from those of people suffering from dyslexia. It has been established that dyslexic people actually have less grey matter than non-dyslexic individuals in the left parietotemporal area of the brain. Research has also been established that normal people have more white matter in this same area than dyslexic people do. This is significant as more white matter is thought to be connected with increased reading abilities. Thus, having less white matter could reduce the dyslexic person’s ability to read efficiently. It may also affect the capacity of dyslexic person’s brain regions to communicate with each other. Dyslexia, though a disorder that is not curable and can be quite severe, is not a condition that results from poor teaching. It is distinguished by differences in cognitive and neurological processes. It is estimated that dyslexia affects 1 in 10 learners in the world’s student population (Ferrer, Shaywitz, Holahan, Marchione and Shaywitz, 2010). Dyslexic students usually exhibit two problems when engaged in reading exercises. They are unable to read many words by sight, which is something that any average student can muster. There will also be a variety of words which they hesitate to verbalise; and so they will often make wrong guesses. Dyslexic students also usually exhibit decoding difficulties when reading. They make numerous errors when they make attempts to identify words. Their biggest problems come when making letter-sound associations in combination with context to make out unfamiliar words. These difficulties with word recognition are because of a basic set back in the language’s sound component which makes it hard for readers to tie sounds with letters so as to decode. Dyslexic students usually have difficulties in understanding what they read because their inability to decipher printed words. Generally, dyslexic students have to work harder than their colleagues to accomplish goals that might be viewed by others as being simple. Owing to this fact, dyslexic students usually experience a lot of fatigue, and frustration. In spite of all efforts in keeping up with their colleagues, the dyslexic students usually are unable to achieve as much as their colleagues even though they do twice as much work. The frustration experienced by dyslexic students can result in them giving up and refusing to make an effort in their class work. If teachers are not aware of the signs to look for in dyslexic learners, they may feel that students who have undiagnosed dyslexia are actually lazy learners who just refuse to make the necessary effort to get good marks. It is only recently that some teaching courses have started to include information regarding the recognition of dyslexic symptoms among students. 1st Research Recent researchers have sought to spot functional and structural deviations in genetic markers and brain function. Cyril Pernet, from the University of Edinburgh, worked with a group of researchers in 2009 to compare the 38 dyslexic people’s brains to a model of an 'ordinary brain' which was formed by merging the brain scans of 39 non-dyslexic people (Csizer and Kormos, 2010). In this research, the dyslexic people’s right brain hemispheres were discovered to be different in size from those of the non dyslexic people. These scans were made using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to contrast the two teams of people, and the researchers were able to correlate the neurological disparities identified with various language problems experienced by the dyslexic group. In this research, dissimilarities were evident in the right cerebellar declive. These differences were linked by the researchers to varying results in the language tests (Csizer and Kormos, 2010). Findings This research was one of the first to prove the existence of a direct connection between the structure of a dyslexic person’s brain structure and the severity of the symptoms that he or he experiences. Pernet would later comment that the outcomes of the research gave sufficient evidence of the existence of different subtypes of dyslexia which are typified by distinct brain phenotypes (Ghaye, 2011). He also stressed that behavioural analyses propose that these brain phenotypes are somehow linked to dissimilar deficits of the automatisation of language-based brain processes such as the fast access of lexicon entries. 2nd Research In a different research carried out in 2011 by (Narimani et al., 2011), 25 students with dyslexia were examined against a control group of non-dyslexic students. In this study, it was established that problems with the inability to concentrate on reading tasks as well as the exhibition of behavioural problems was more common among dyslexic students than non-dyslexic students. The research’s main objective was to contrast the occurrence of behaviour disorders and emotional intelligence in non-dyslexic and dyslexic boys. All the research participants were aged between 11 and 15 years old. A causal comparative research technique was used and information was collected through the means of self report measures of behavioural and emotional disorders. The research’s outcomes affirmed that emotional intelligence is actually interconnected with behaviour problems. In addition, dyslexic children attained lower marks in aspects measuring emotional intelligence even though they had greater scores than their non-dyslexic counterparts on the issue of behaviour problems. Along with being congruent with previous research study, these findings underline the significance of ensuring that emotional intelligence is viewed as being a big part of intellectual achievement in schools if students are expected to function as contributing members of society upon their graduation. Methodology In the research with 25 dyslexic students, the student population that formed the group of respondents included a mixture of dyslexic students from the Khazra Psychological Services Centre, a learning disability in Iran, and non dyslexic students from the Shahab Middle School which is situated in Ilam, which is also a city in Iran. All the respondents were between the age of 11 and 15 and were randomly chosen (Narimani, Sadeghieh Ahari, Homeily and Siahpoosh 2009). Their consent, as well as that of their guardians, was obtained before the 2 questionnaires were distributed. The control group of students from Ilam was matched in terms of education, along with age, with the dyslexic group from Khazra. Behaviour Problem Questionnaire: This questionnaire used during the research had 26 items. The choice ‘0’ was indicative of something not being true, while ‘1’ indicated something that relatively true. The choice ‘2’ was taken to be indicative of something that was completely accurate. The time allocated for the completion of the questionnaire was 7 minutes. The questionnaire was structured to show 4 characteristics of ordinary students, students with emotional disorders, students with conduct disorders, and students with a discriminability deficit. Emotional Intelligence Survey: This questionnaire had 33 items and had a 5 choice scale. This scale would only assess one dimension. Owing to the fact that the aim of the research was to compare and contrast behavioural disorders and emotional intelligence in non-dyslexic and dyslexic students, this research was a causal-comparative study. Findings Many researchers tend to portray behavioural disorders and emotional disorders in dyslexic students working examples without necessarily comparing them to the same issues in non-dyslexic students. Many researchers have stressed that dyslexic students tend to have many adverse behavioural concerns; however, this is not really a surprise. Given that dyslexic students are usually categorised as being lazy and are often misunderstood by both their teachers and friends prior to diagnosis, it is not surprising that most of them tend to feel deeply frustrated and begin to act out their frustrations (Cooper, 2009). In addition, they will also suffer from low self esteem when they discover that they are unable to accomplish as much work as their colleagues even with twice the effort. Moreover, it remains to be seen if the actual brain structural dissimilarities may be the true cause of the behavioural problems experienced by dyslexic students. There are also few researches that have examined dyslexia and emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence can be measured by examining the quality of relationships, comprehending other people`s emotions, empathising with the situations of others and the ability to be able to capitalise on a favourable mood (Cooper, 2009). Emotional intelligence includes being able to understand one`s own feelings and using them to make wise choices in one’s life. Dyslexic students tend to suffer from more than a few socio-emotional difficulties. These usually include the inability to accept failure, poor self confidence or low self esteem, social anxiety, bad self management skills, and the forestalling of doing homework. Dyslexic students are also usually bewildered when in social circles and do not esteem their own personal values. It has been claimed that due to the problems they go through, they actually experience a very different and challenging emotional development process when compared to non-dyslexic students (DfES, 2004). The research comparing the dyslexic with the non dyslexic children in Iran established most of the students who are unable to learn at school because of biological issues that not even they themselves understand usually grow distressed, and become angry and desperate. They withdraw from others because they tend to feel that everybody thinks they are unintelligent and fear being forced to read anything in a public setting. As far as social, educational, and emotional difficulties as well as the lack of educational and social success in dyslexic students is concerned, it would appear that the difference in emotional intelligence that is evident between the non-dyslexic and dyslexic students stems from the dyslexic student’s inability to understand why they are different from other students and the fact that being different does not mean being less intelligent (Beaton, 2004). Teachers who do not understand, or are not familiar with the realities of dyslexia in Iran may also contribute to the poor self esteem of dyslexic students when they misdiagnose dyslexia as inattention or incorrigibility. From this study, the hypotheses drawn include: • Dyslexic students do not have the same emotional intelligence as the non-dyslexic students. • Non-dyslexic students are not likely to experience as many behavioural disorders as dyslexic students • There is a connection between behavioural disorders and emotional intelligence in all students Reliability This study proved that difficulties in literacy are not the only problems that plague dyslexic students. On the other hand, it also exposed the lack of adequate methods to combat behavioural symptoms of dyslexia. While many current researches on dyslexia are quick to mention the importance of dyslexic people having “intensive treatment” to help them in handling their condition in such a way that it does not negatively affect their entire life, they usually give very few ideas or descriptions of the modern existing techniques of treatment for dyslexics that can accomplish this (Stanley, Jones, and Murphy, 2012). It seems to be that most of these methods are still being developed by specialists who are hesitant to disclose their findings before they have finished the entire process. Even though the causes and varieties of dyslexia are many and multifaceted, it is obvious that dyslexia does not remove from overall intelligence, as was presumed in the past. Nancy Portalupi, who is a psychologist specialising on learning disabilities, has in the past stated that there are many ways through which dyslexics students can compensate for their shortcomings, once their individual problems are established (Cooper, 2006). For instance, students with language or vocabulary problems can use recorded text books, which are a perfect resource for a dyslexic student with an auditory processing issue. Recorded text books allow the student to be able to concentrate on what the lecturer is speaking about. For dyslexic students who comprehend language well, it is important to seek the assistance of the tutor. Speaking with the tutor on the subject in question allows the student to have a dialog rather than try to commit to his or her memory everything that was taught. Portalupi has asserted in the past that the subject of dyslexia is even more complicated to deal with sometimes because institutions try to use a one-size-fits-all type of program to solve the problems of all dyslexic students (Cooper, 2006). It is more fruitful for each dyslexic student to work with a specialist in establishing which shortcomings he or she has. The specialist will then find the best way to solve the student’s shortcoming. Another issue that has not been addressed in a practical manner is the difference in the behavioural problems exhibited in dyslexic boys and dyslexic girls. Boys are more likely to be evaluated for dyslexia in researches, because their learning frustrations lead them to act out. Girls usually cringe from exposing the fact that they have problems of any kind. They may even downplay the problem if a teacher inadvertently stumbles upon it. This means that most of the time, the behavioural problems exhibited by boys are assumed to be the issues that also manifest for girls. This is erroneous as respected scholars have established that female students have very different behavioural reactions from male students, and thus are likely to have different issues, where dyslexia is concerned, from their male colleagues. Indeed, professor Shaywitz, a noted authority on the subject of dyslexia, has in the past stated that women engage more brain parts when processing language. This makes it easier for them to compensate for discrepancies on other sides of the brain (Stanley, Jones, and Murphy, 2012). Conclusion Dyslexic students require focused multi-sensory teaching techniques that are systematic, collective. In addition, their basic cognitive weaknesses have to be diagnosed early in their lives and remedied so that they are not deeply affected by something that can be managed. New research into this subject in future is likely to provide even more sophisticated methods for discovering dyslexia in young pupils. Particularly important are the researches that seek to discover how dyslexics learn. Schools can also modify classroom programmes and make specific adjustments to assist dyslexic learners. References Beaton, A.A (2004) Dyslexia, reading and the brain: a sourcebook of psychological and biological research, Psychology Press, East Sussex. Cooper, R. (2006) A social model of dyslexia, London South Bank University, London. Cooper, R. (2009) ‘Dyslexia’ in neurodiversity in higher education; positive responses to learning differences, Wiley-Blackwell, London. Csizer, K. & Kormos, J. (2010) ‘A comparison of the foreign language learning motivation of Hungarian dyslexic and non-dyslexic students,’ International Journal of Applied Linguistics, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 232-250. DfES. (2004) Excellence and enjoyment- social and emotional aspects of learning. Ferrer, E., Shaywitz, B.A., Holahan, J.M., Marchione, K. & Shaywitz, S.E. (2010) ‘Uncoupling of reading and IQ over time: empirical evidence for a definition of dyslexia’, Psychological Science, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 93–101. Ghaye, T. (2011) Teaching and learning through reflective practice: the theory and practice of teaching, Routledge, Abingdon. Narimani, N., Sadeghieh Ahari, S., Homeily, N. & Siahpoosh, N. (2009) ‘A comparison of emotional intelligence and behaviour problems in dyslexic and non-dyslexic boys’, Journal of Applied Sciences, vol. 9, pp. 1388-1392. Pollak, D. (2005) Dyslexia, the self and higher education, Trentham Books, Stoke-on-Trent. Stanley, G., Jones, M., & Murphy, J. (2012) 'Implementing the opening minds curriculum in a secondary school in England: an alternative to the one-size-fits-all national curriculum?', Curriculum Journal, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 265-282. Read More