Patterns of Communication Disorders Among Primary School Students and Their Impact on Academic Achievement In Palestine

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the patterns of communication disorders among primary school students in Palestine and analyze their impact on academic achievement. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach، collecting data from a sample of 190 primary school teachers in East Jerusalem، selected using a convenience sampling method to examine the extent to which speech and communication disorders affect students' academic performance. To achieve the study’s objectives، a specialized scale was developed to measure the impact of speech disorders on academic achievement، comprising 28 items distributed across seven main domains. The findings revealed that speech disorders significantly affect academic achievement، with an overall impact mean of 3.75، indicating a high level of influence. The most prominent speech disorders affecting academic performance were sound repetition، speech interruption، and sound substitution. The study also identified statistically significant differences based on certain demographic variables، such as the student's gender in the "sound substitution" domain، while no significant differences were found concerning educational qualification or years of experience. Based on these results، the study recommended raising teachers’ awareness of speech disorders and their effects، as well as providing flexible teaching strategies tailored to the needs of students experiencing these challenges. Additionally، it emphasized the importance of training speech specialists، incorporating communication disorders into teacher preparation curricula، and promoting research in this field to enhance the educational environment for students with speech and communication disorders.