Emotional Stability and Reading Ability as predictors of Essay Writing Performance Among Students with Learning Disabilities in Ibadan, Oyo State of Nigeria
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Ajagbe Mubo Olubanke, Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, University Of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Adverse effect of poor essay writing among secondary school students was observed to have significant effect on their overall academic achievement of the students. Statistic have shown that essay writing contributed to mass failure in English language subject in West African Examination Council and National Examination Council and research have not adequately examined factors influencing essay writing most especially among students with learning disabilities. Thus, this study examined influence of emotional stability and reading ability on essay writing among students with learning disabilities. The study adopted descriptive survey research design of ex-post facto type, and structured questionnaires were used to gather data from students with learning disabilities. Also, the study adopted multistage sampling procedure: first stage involve random selection of four (4) secondary schools in Ibadan North Local Government Area using simple random sampling technique. The second stage involves purposive selection of twenty five (25) junior secondary school students with learning disabilities from each school using purposive sampling technique. One hundred students with learning disabilities participated in the study. Data collected was analysed using version 20.0 of statistical package for social sciences and tested at 0.05 level of significance using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Statistical Tools. The result revealed that emotional stability (r =.345, p<0.05) and reading ability (r =.379, p<0.05) positively and significantly correlated with essay writing performance among junior secondary school students with learning disabilities. It was also discovered that emotional stability and reading ability had significant joint influence on essay writing performance among junior secondary school students with learning disabilities in Ibadan (F (2, 97)= 9.071; p<0.05). Further analysis revealed that that emotional stability and reading ability made significant independent contribution to essay writing performance among junior secondary school students with learning disabilities in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria (=0.528; t = 5.365; p<0.05. =0.379; t = 4.033; p<0.05). Emotional stability and reading ability had significant independent and joint influence on essay writing performance among junior secondary school students with learning disabilities in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. Therefore special educators, parents, school teachers, counselling psychologists and government should take cognisance of the impact of emotional stability and reading ability in the development of therapeutic intervention or any intervention channeling towards helping junior secondary school students with learning disabilities enhance their essay writing skills and ability.
Emotional Stability, Reading Ability, Essay Writing, Students, Learning Disabilities
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