EFFECTS OF USING TTSREADER IN IMPROVING ENGLISH READING SKILLS OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

Abstract

According to the report on the Education Dropout Documents of Malaysia 2023, a total of 175,304 school-aged children at primary schools in Malaysia are still not proficient in reading, while 1.01 million Malaysians still lack literacy skills. Some children in the statistics are students with learning difficulties who have readiness and learning abilities that do not align with typical children, requiring more time to understand a particular subject. This study aims to identify whether the use of assistive technology, specifically TTSReader, can enhance reading skills of students with learning difficulties in English language. The study takes an experimental form, and a mixed-method approach has been used to gather data. Quantitative data were collected through pre and post-tests, while qualitative data were collected through structured interviews and observations: running records to further validate the findings. The study was conducted at primary school in Tatau, Sebauh. Eight special needs students will be randomly selected as study samples, with each group of four special needs students classified separately into treatment and control groups. The study findings indicate a significant difference in the improvement of reading skills between the two groups (t=-3.421, P(0.011 < 0.05) in the post-test. Interview data also show that 75%, or 3 out of 4 respondents in the treatment group, fully embraced the use of assistive technology: TTSReader.