INTRODUCTION
This article is a research on methods of solving speech impairment in school children. This contains the methods employed to gather information and to apply them to solving the speaking disorder. This is a continuation of Chapter Two.
This chapter describes the methods used by the researcher in gathering vital information for the study. This chapter is organised under the following headings; Research design, population, sample as well as the sampling procedure, the research instrument, data collection procedure and data analysis.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research design is the overall plan for connecting the conceptual research problems with the pertinent (and achievable) empirical research. It also constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement, and analysis of data.
The design is an action research design. An action research is a study concerned with immediate solution to local classroom problems. The purpose of action research is to solve classroom problems through the application of scientific method.
The researcher chose action research design because, speech impairment is a problem affecting the academic performance and social interaction of learners in Tumu Egala Basic One B.
The rationale behind this design is to improve or solve local classroom problems. The research design therefore will help the researcher to use appropriate teaching methods to assist to improve upon their social interaction and academic performance and further broaden her knowledge about the effect of speech deficit on teaching and learning in the classroom.
The researcher found the use of action research design appropriate because it contributes to solving immediate classroom problems through the use of scientific methods. The use of action research design will also aid the investigation into the effects of speech impairment on child learning.
Also, action research encourages teachers to be aware of the crucial and vital nature of their practice and realise the need for change. Action research provides local method of inductive and deductive reasoning to arrive at a generalisation.
Moreover, variables and procedures are organised accurately to pave way for replication.
Action research is collaborative hence; it employs the efforts of the teacher and other human resources such as pupils and parents.
However, the findings cannot be generalised since the design is focused on solving only problems existing within the locality of the researcher. The research design does not generate new knowledge, but only allow for the development of appropriate intervention procedures aimed at finding lasting solution to the problem identified.
POPULATION
The population for the study is made up of all B1 learners, all teachers and all parents of pupils in B1 at Tumu Egala Basic B. The population of the learners in B1 was twenty-four (24) of which thirteen (13) were males and eleven (11) were females.
The teachers population consist of seventeen (17) trained teachers of which fifteen (15) are females and two (2) were male. Both teachers and parents were involved in the study because, the school and the home are the two most paramount environment for learner’s social interaction and intellectual development.
SAMPLING AND SAMPLING PROCEDURE
The researcher used purposive sampling and convenience sampling to select the sampled respondents for the study from which generalisation is to be made.
The researcher used purposive sampling to sample ten (10) learners also with speech impairment and their respective parents and guidance as key informants for the study.
The researcher used purposive sampling because she wanted to select parents and their wards with speech impairment to serve as respondent to the study.
Purposive sampling involves hand picking of respondents to be included in the sample on the basis of the researcher’s judgement and knowledge about the issue under study and relevance of the respondents to the study even though purposive sampling is easier and inexpensive, the possibility of obtaining a probability sample cannot be guaranteed.
Convenience sampling was used to select three (3) teachers for the study. The researcher on arrival at school in the morning recorded the names of the first three (3) trained teachers who were present to serve as respondents to the study. With convenience sampling the available or nearest individual is chosen to serve as respondents for the study.
This sampling procedure was employed because, the three (3) teachers who were sampled were trained and constituted a homogenous group. Moreover, all the teachers of Tumu Egala Basic School are concerned and making steps to reduce the effects of speech impairment on the academic and social interaction of learners.
Despite convenience sampling is easy to construct and evaluate, subjects available might be different from the variables being measured.
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
The researcher used interview, questionnaire, observation and test as the research instruments for data collection on the study. The researcher administered the research instrument on ten (10) learners and their parents and three (3) trained teachers of Tumu Egala Basic School.
OBSERVATION
The observation was done to find out the extent to which speech impairment affects learners’ academic performance and social interaction. Observation is a method of data collection that employs vision of physical examination of respondents and recording data based on personal judgements.
Observation provides first-hand information without relying on respondent who may be unwilling to offer information. Observation however cannot offer quantitative generalisation on results.
QUESTIONNAIRES
The researcher used closed-ended questionnaires to collect data from the three (3) sampled trained teachers of Tumu Egala Basic School. The items on the questionnaire were based on the factors indicated in the statement of the problem. The questionnaires were used to find out the methods appropriate for teaching learners with speech impairment.
The questionnaires also aimed at finding out whether teachers employed teaching materials when delivering lessons. Questionnaires are less expensive than interviews since the use of interviews may demand the training of personnel’s.
Despite the fact that questionnaires are less expensive, they cannot be administered on illiterates. Close-ended questionnaire is a type of questionnaire which consist of a list of questions called check mark responses from the respondents.
The questionnaires were personally distributed to the three (3) trained teachers for which they used two days to make their response. All questionnaires were returned two days after the day of distribution.
INTERVIEW
Interviews were also conducted on parents of learners with speech impairment. The interviews took place within two days. During this period the researcher visited parents at home. The researcher use verbal questioning to find out the type of speech impairment their wards were suffering from and what causes it.
Hence, the researcher wanted to find out whether the speech impairment was acquired or generic. She also wanted to find out the extent to which their wards interact with their peers.
The interview was also designed to reveal threats at home that can affect learners with speech impairment. Interview employs verbal questioning as principal technique of data collection. It is a direct attempt of the researcher to obtain reliable and valid measures of character, behaviour and attitude in the form of verbal response.
The researcher used unstructured interview since it is flexible and have minimal restrictions. The interview was administered by the researcher with the help of a colleague trainee. Interviews are however costly and time consuming and can inconvenience respondents.
TEST
Test was used to obtain information about learners suffering from speech disorder. The researcher used learners textbook and ask them simple oral questions on a simple passage they have read and learners were made to answer the questions. The pre-test was marked according to the number of response a learner is able to make.
Learners’ marks were recorded against their names. The researcher organised a post-test to determine the effectiveness of the intervention that have been designed to address the problem. The pre-test was administered on ten (10) learners sampled.
Hence, this data collection procedure will involve three (3) stages which include; pre-intervention, intervention and post- intervention.
DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE
The data collection procedure involves the administration of observations, questionnaire and Interview as the research instruments for this research work. The researcher prepared an observation checklist which is to be conducted on learners on Tuesday 12/10/2021 at 7:00am in the classroom and at the playground.
Also, the researcher again prepared questionnaire and Interview guide to also help in data collection, the close-ended questionnaire guide is to be administered on three (3) trained teachers on 13/10/2021 at exactly 7:30am for two days to make their responses.
Moreover, the interview is to be administered on ten (10) parents whose wards were samples as respondents for the study on 16/10/2021.
Though the data collection procedure was quite convenience, but there was a challenged on the part of parents to voice out the accurate responses on the causes of their wards impairment and how best treatment they are giving to this children, as well as the teachers responses on the kind of methodology and TLMs offering to this impaired children and the general class.
Hence, this data collection procedure will involve three (3) stages which include; pre-intervention, intervention and post- intervention.
PRE-INTERVENTION
The observation was to ascertain the effects of speech impairment on learners’ academic and social interaction. The observation was conducted on Tuesday 12/10/2021 in the classroom and at the school playground.
During the observation, the researcher was present at the setting and fully participated in the observation process. The observation was recorded on a checklist for analysis and cross examination.
Moreover, the closed-ended questionnaire was administered on three (3) trained teachers of Tumu Egala Basic School on Wednesday 13/10/2021. The researcher personally distributed the questionnaire to the respondents for which they used two days to make their responses.
All questionnaires were completed and returned on Friday 15/10/2021. The researcher used a day to organise and process the information obtained from the questionnaires.
On Saturday 16/10/2021 an interview was conducted on ten (10) parents whose wards were sampled as respondents for the study. During the interview, the researcher used verbal questions as a principal technique for data collection.
The researcher moved to the houses of the parents whose wards suffering from speech impairment to conduct the interview. The interview was administered by the researcher with the help of her co-mentee Mr. Bapagu Abdul Razak.
INTERVENTION
Based on the information gathered during the pre-intervention, the researcher on Monday 18/7/2021 organised a class with learners. Before the lesson, the researcher prepared a detailed lesson plan using improvised learning materials and learner centred methods. The researcher used simple language to suit the level of learners.
In the course of the lesson, the researcher used motivation and questions to actively involve learners in the lesson. The lesson was aimed at assisting learners with speech deficit to acquire skills of correct pronunciation of words, speaking and fluency skills.
During the lesson, the researcher drilled learners on the correct pronunciation of words. After which learners were taught how to pronounce words correctly and aloud. Assistance was given to learners who found it difficult to articulate the sounds of words. The Sample lesson plan can be seen in appendix C.
As part of the intervention, on Wednesday, 20/7/2021 the researcher organised a talk to sensitized learners on the need to be compassionate and welcome learners suffering from speech impairment. Learners were advised not to tease at their peers with speech impairment.
In addition, the researcher also identified learners with speech impairment and referred them for medical check-up.
POST-INTERVENTION
During the intervention, appropriate teaching and learning materials and learner centered method were used to teach learners on how to recognize the initial sounds of letters. During the teaching process, learners were encouraged to actively participate in the lesson using questions.
As the results, learner’s abysmal performance changed to better performance after the implementation of the intervention activities.
DATA ANALYSIS
Data gathered for the study was edited. After the analysis of the data, the researcher presented a report reflecting the responses of participants on the research questions. The analysis was presented in the form of tables and component bar graph. These statistical tools were used because of their usefulness in representing the trend of distribution given data covering a period of time.
SOURCE: bbcpulse.com