Investigating Teachers of English Knowledge and Awareness of Dyslexia: A case study in Primary Iraqi Schools

Abstract

Dyslexia is a learning disability in which people face difficulty reading though they are intelligent and have motivation for reading. Therefore; it impacts the portion of the brain responsible for processing language. Such a condition compromises the learning efficiency of the affected person, which generally gets unnoticed. Even affected children are unaware of their state. The study investigates the knowledge and awareness of dyslexia among teachers of English in Iraqi primary schools. this study has three objectives: (i) To investigate the amount of awareness and knowledge among the primary school teachers of English in Baghdad City about dyslexia.; (ii) To examine how English teachers’ awareness of dyslexia is affected by their age, gender, grade level, length of service, and academic background; and (iii) To determine whether there is a connection between teachers’ total knowledge score and their knowledge and confidence level rating. An exploratory approach was adopted to collect and analyze the data. This study was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic when very few schools were open and working in online mode with no physical attendance. A total of 34 EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers from governmental and private primary schools in Baghdad – Iraq, were assigned to the survey through online random sampling. The results pertained to the following characteristics: the participants’ demographic data, exploring teachers’ knowledge and awareness regarding dyslexia, and teachers’ observation of dyslexia. Findings revealed that most teachers have little experience but a considerable grasp of the learning disorder. Inductive training is highly recommended for teachers of English to promote their early knowledge and awareness of dyslexia and to support dyslexic children to overcome their difficulties in learning.