Effectiveness of a Sign Language Mobile Application in Enhancing English Writing for Hearing-Impaired Students
Abstract
This research investigates the effectiveness of a Sign Language Mobile Application (SLMA) designed to help hearing-impaired students write basic English sentences using Prepositions of Position. The application covers essential grammar, capitalisation, punctuation, spelling, and letter formation elements. The first objective was to design and develop the application using the Rapid Prototyping Model, Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, and Constructivism Theory. The second objective was to assess the application's impact on academic achievement through a pretest, intervention, and posttest. The third objective explored the application's potential to foster self-directed learning through face-to-face interviews with 10 hearing-impaired students, focusing on usability, effectiveness, and satisfaction. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with purposive sampling involving 70 hearing-impaired students from Perak and Penang. The findings demonstrate the application's effectiveness in improving English writing skills, vocabulary, and sign language learning. The intervention group showed a significant increase in mean pretest scores, from 24.46 to 87.29 post-intervention. An independent t-test revealed a significant difference in post-test scores between the control and experimental groups (t(68)= 50.577, p < 0.001), while paired t-tests showed a significant improvement in post-test scores for the experimental group (t(34) = -62.334, p < 0.001) but not for the control group (t(34)= -0.267, p = 0.791). Both tests support the effectiveness of the intervention. Additionally, thematic analysis of interviews with 10 students highlighted a strong preference for the application, especially in enhancing English writing skills. These findings suggest that mobile applications integrating sign language and self-directed learning features can promote independent learning and boost academic achievement in English writing for hearing-impaired students. Future research should consider developing mobile applications that specifically target writing tasks in Paper 2 of the KSSM SPM English examination, allowing hearing-impaired students to prepare alongside their mainstream peers and ensuring equal access to quality education and academic opportunities.
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