SPELLING ERRORS (SE) AMONG STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT (SWVI) AND STUDENTS WITH NORMAL VISION (SWNV)

This study aimed to indentify the level of spelling errors (SE) among students with visual impairment (SWVI) and students with normal vision (SWNV); to compare the spelling errors between SWVI and SWNV, and to study the differences in spelling errors among SWVI based on type of disability (blindness and low vision) and medium of instruction (English &Tamil). Survey research design was employed in this study. Following a purposive sampling technique of convenience type (chunk type), 93 SWVI and SWNV studying in different levels of school education were selected from 12 inclusive schools of Coimbatore District as sample for the present study. Word Inventory Test was used for collecting the required data. Face and content validity was obtained for the tools while Test-retest reliability method was used to test the reliability of spelling test. Quantitative data analysis using Mean, Standard Deviation, Mann-Whitney U test was done. The major findings revealed that SWVI across the four levels of school education significantly committed 62.46% SE, and at .05 level of confidence, which is significantly more than the SE committed by SWNV which was 25.79%. SWVI who are studying in English medium schools significantly committed less SE comparing to SWVI who are studying in Tamil medium schools, but both of the groups significantly committed SE. It can be summarized that SWVI commit significant spelling errors. And it is recommended that spelling skills should not be ignored among them, and educators should help them adopt effective study strategies and habits that compensate their visual deficiencies and develop the same.