SUPSI - DISpeA

Research

DISpeA

The project serves a dual purpose. The first is to know the existing representations and lived experiences of elementary school teachers of Italian-speaking Switzerland in relation to the issue of learning difficulties of reading and dyslexia. The second is to conduct a survey and quantify this phenomen within primary schools. With this dual action, the research aims to assess needs and guidance in initial and continuing training of teachers on this issue.

The project surveyed the representations of teachers’ descriptions of students' reading difficulties and dyslexia in particular. In addition, screening was performed to detect speed and accuracy of reading in schools of Italian-speaking Switzerland. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 400 teachers and, after analysing the data, it was considered appropriate to explore, through in-depth interviews, the feelings raised on some issues. Screening of the disturbance took place with a sample of 824 pupils in their third and fifth year of elementary school.

The survey highlighted prevention practices and incentives to read employed by some teachers, but of primary interest was knowing about Specific Learning Disorders in order to help these students through a conscious and targeted intervention. Considering that the survey in classes with 4.37% in 2/4 parameters (words , non words, speed and accuracy of reading) has confirmed the percentage of dyslexia already noted by other authors (3.5-4.5%) in Italian territory, an initial and continuing training of teachers appears to be useful. On the other hand, there is the usefulness of proposing guidelines which comply with recommendations for the diagnosis and implementation of measures to support students and help teachers in their professional mission. Also to be addressed and clarified in the areas of initial and continuous training is the issue of reading-writing, so that current and future teachers are trained in mental learning processes and various approaches involved in the stages of learning to read, thereby not hindering the learning of pupils with reading difficulties.

The analysis carried out leads to proposing action in several directions in order to optimise a working trend which already seems to be following the right course, especially as operators and speech therapists of the support service, called upon to network with teachers, are largely already integrated within institutions.

The project – funded by the Swiss National Fund for Scientific Research and directed by Feliciana Tocchetto and Fabio Leoni – was carried out in collaboration with the Office of Primary Schools (Ufficio Scuole Comunali) of Canton Ticino, the Scolastic Psychological Service of Italian-speaking of Canton Grigioni and the Swiss Association for Dyslexia –Swiss-italian Group.

Project Title: Dyslexia, A Specific Learning Disability. Descriptive representations by teachers and dissemination in schools of Italian-speaking Switzerland (DISpeA)
Managers: Fabio Leoni and Feliciana Tocchetto
Department: Department of Formation and Learning
Project Duration: 2008 - 2009
Funding: SNF – DoRe Programme
Partners: Ufficio Scuole comunali Canton Ticino, Scolastic Psychological Service of Italian-speaking Grigioni and Swiss Association for Dyslexia – Swiss-italian Group.

(Images: Fabio Meliciani, http://www.ticinoscienza.com)