By utilizing technical tools, students with reading difficulties can receive support and assistance to enhance their ability to comprehend texts. The present study explores how special education teachers in language, reading, and writing utilize digital technology to support students with reading difficulties. Additionally, the study investigates how these teaching tools are adapted based on the age of the students. The empirical material was collected from eleven practicing special education teachers primarily working with students in grades 1-9. This was done through a survey study with open-ended questions, which were subsequently analyzed based on the research questions. The results show that special education teachers consider reading for comprehension to be a complex task which requires motivation and learning to develop as successfully as possible. They also mention that they use supportive tools differently based on students' age, with younger students tending to be allowed to use digital learning tools more often as a motivating factor and older students receiving digital tools as a concrete support for enhancing their learning strategies and reading skills. Additionally, the teachers noted that there was often a lack of knowledge of how to use assistive technology as an efficient support, both among teachers and students. In conclusion, this study shows that special education teachers need more knowledge about assistive technology, and that assistive technology needs to be introduced at an earlier age for students to become aware of the functions of assistive tools.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-218721 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Lindström, Ulrika, Falk Fastin, Jennie |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Institutionen för språkstudier |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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