Private Preschool Teachers’ Competencies in Early Identification of Children at Risk of Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Not only education is important in developing one’s intellectual and personal quality, but also an influential factor in seeking employment. Therefore, education is even more important for disabled individuals, as it enables them to read and write, communicate, make decisions and most importantly be employed.  However, Dr. Mullai Ramaiah stated that the current Malaysian education system does not only lack in early screening, but also teachers who are equipped to teach and handle children with special needs (Arukesamy, 2017). Therefore, this current study intends to investigate the competency of preschool teachers in identifying children who are at risk of any learning disabilities (LD). This was done by administering a questionnaire survey to examine teachers’ knowledge of some common learning disabilities that usually affects preschool children. In this research, the relationship between teachers’ competency and teacher’s education level has been investigated. Findings from the data analysis indicated that the level of teacher’s competency in identifying children at risk is relatively low. It was revealed, a majority of general preschool teachers do not have any knowledge or acquired minimal knowledge in identifying children who are at risk of an LD.  Findings also show that there was a significant difference in competencies between teachers of different levels of education. Finally, it was found teachers’ experience does not contribute to their knowledge in identifying children at risk of LD.