The Investigation of the Effect of Verse and Story Based Training on Improving the Attitudes of Normal Children toward the Deaf and Blind Children

Subject Areas : Journal of Excellence in counseling and psychotherapy

Farideh Kalhori ¹ , Qumarth Karimi ²

1 - Department of Psychology, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran
2 - Department of Psychology, Mahabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mahabad, Iran

Received: 2017-04-28 Accepted : 2017-05-12 Published : 2017-05-22

Keywords: Deaf children, Blind Children, Children Attitudes towards Children with Handicaps, Verse and Story Based Training,

Abstract :

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of poetry-based education and storytelling on improving the attitudes of normal children towards deaf and blind children. Methodology: The research method was quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test with a control group. The statistical population of the present study consisted of normal girls aged 7-12 years in comprehensive libraries in Tehran in the summer of 2014. Then 50 female students were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (25 people in each group). Data were collected using the Chidak-McMaster scale to measure children's attitudes toward children with disabilities. Rosenbaum, Aramstrang, King (1988) (CATCH). After the pre-test, 13 training sessions based on poetry and storytelling were held by experienced instructors for the experimental group. After the training sessions, post-test was performed on both experimental and control groups. Research data were analyzed by analysis of covariance. Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference in the scores of normal children's attitudes toward the blind and deaf children in the expriment group (verse and story based training group) in comparison with the control group who did not see training (P ≤.05).  Conclusion: Findings of this research has implications for revision of educational programs of related organizations including the Education Organization and the Center for the Development of Children and Adolescents to change the attitude of children in different emotional, cognitive and social areas by verse and story based training to create more motivation in children to communicate with children with disabilities.