Enhancing Inclusive Education for Children with Dysgraphia: Assessing the Knowledge of Basic School Teachers in the Nkwanta South Municipality in Ghana

Abstract

Introduction: Children with learning disabilities experience difficulty in acquiring basic academic competencies compared to those without disability, and dysgraphia is not excluded.

Aim: This study assesses the knowledge of teachers on children with dysgraphia in Ghana.

Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional study design with quantitative approach. A stratified probability sampling technique was used to select 98 teachers. The study employed a structured questionnaire to interview respondents in eight (8) communities. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.

Results: The study found that 94% of basic schoolteachers possess moderate knowledge of dysgraphia. Again, of the 98 respondents, the majority gave ‘cannot tell /neutral' responses on knowledge of characteristics of dysgraphia: awkward pen or pencil grip (65/98 respondents), spelling errors (74/98), difficulty getting thoughts on paper (53/98), and taking longer to complete a written sentence (68/98). However, respondents have good knowledge of dysgraphia children producing bad writing (89/98), unfinished words (86/98), a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters (79/98), irregular spacing of words or letters (82/98), and writing that is either too small or too large (56/98).

Conclusion: Few Teachers have adequate knowledge of the characteristics of children with dysgraphia.

Limitations: The study would have been interesting if children with dysgraphia were directly involved, where they would be asked to write sentences, and a video version was taken and published with this manuscript.