The Development of an Application Assisted in Learning English for Communication in the High School Education for Visually-impaired Students in Thailand
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Abstract
There were obstacles to educate visually-impaired students (VIS) principally in learning English since the schools for the blind lacked of teachers, and educational facilities. Hence, the researcher developed the English for the Blind application, to 1) examine the students’ English competency; and 2) study the students’ satisfaction after using the application. The population was 99 VIS in grades 10 to 12 from 3 schools for the blind, chosen by simple random sampling. This study was quasi-experimental research, conducted from August to December 2021, collected data through baseline and endline surveys, pre- and post-tests, and the English for the Blind application, analyzed data by frequency, mean, standard deviation, and paired-samples t-test, and used the 5-point Likert scale and the score assessment criteria of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to interpret the scores.
The findings implied that the students in the experimental group who used the application could increase their English competency up to 3 levels from B1 Intermediate to C2 Proficient, whereas the students in the control group who did not use the application gained one level up. Moreover, the pre- and post-test scores of all students were significantly different. After the first experiment, the control group was let to use the application, and found that their final examination scores to the post-test scores of the previous experimental group was not different, meant that the English competency of VIS in the control group could improve after using the application too. The overall of the students’ satisfaction towards the application was satisfied, mostly with the contents and activities in each lesson which were appropriate for their levels, and the functions that supported their use. For this reason, the results indicated that the English for the Blind application was efficient and could develop the students’ English communication skills.
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