Reading Comprehension Ability of Differentially-Able and Able Students

Abstract

The present Thesis entitled ‘Reading Comprehension Ability of Differentially-Able and Able Students is an attempt to find the reading comprehension ability of differentially able and able students. The main objective of this research study was to find out the reading comprehension ability of the able (regular) and differentially-able students (e.g. hearing impairment) students of secondary level and to compare the reading comprehension ability in terms of differentially able students against the able students, boys Vs girls and seen texts Vs unseen text. In order to do so, the researcher collected data from grade 9 and 10 students studying in regular and special schools in Kathmandu. The researcher used simple statistical tool mean and percentage to analyze and interpret the data. The main findings of the present research are that the able students were found better than the differentially-able (e.g. hearing impairment) students both at the seen and unseen reading text. The boys were found better than the girls and both the boys and girls of differentially-able students were found having lower reading comprehension ability than their able counterparts. The unseen reading texts were found more difficult to comprehend than the seen ones for both boys and girls of both able and differentially-able groups. The study is divided in four main chapters and some sub – chapters. Chapter one consists of general background, review of the related literature, and objectives of the study and the definitions of the specific terms. Chapter two deals with methodology. It encompasses sources of data, population of the study, sample population, tools for data collection, process of data collection and limitations of the study. Chapter three consists of analysis and interpretation of the data. The data is analyzed and interpreted in terms of able Vs differentially-able students, boys Vs girls and seen Vs unseen reading text using the simple statistical tools mean and percentage. Chapter four incorporates findings and recommendations. On the basis of analyzed data, the findings have been listed and in turn, on the basis of these findings some recommendations have been made. Eventually, references and appendices are also given. The appendix part includes research tools and other information.