The shadow of the child : primary school teachers' experiences of pupils with a learning disability

Abstract

Through using in-depth interviews, this study attempts to obtain an understanding of the experiences that primary school teachers encounter with students with Learning Disabilities. The study attempts to understand the social and the academic effects of Learning Disabilities on the students, who may face challenges in their educational journey. It is very important to perceive the child holistically. Since the primary school is the first step to becoming independent, this subject is to be given considerable attention for everyone's sake, but especially for students with LD. The methodology used in this study was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), using in-depth interviews as the research tool. The overall results indicate that teachers seem to have a basic generic know-how of the experiences and challenges these children go through. However it is clear that more awareness and training on the topic should be provided, particularly with regard to teaching techniques in the inclusive classroom. This may be accomplished by having professionals and parents collaborating together to design an educational journey to support our students with Learning Disabilities in both the academic and the social areas.