A description of teachers’ approach to handwriting instruction in primary schools

Abstract

Background.

When handwriting becomes a significant obstacle to children’s academic success, occupational therapists are routinely asked to intervene. At times, therapists wonder whether teachers’ instructional approaches have a role to play in explaining children’s handwriting challenges.

Purpose.

This study aimed to describe elementary school teachers’ current instructional approach to handwriting throughout the school year.

Method.

A descriptive study design utilizing a survey approach to data collection was selected for this study. The survey was completed by 399 teachers. Survey responses were collated and descriptive statistics were used for analysis.

Findings.

The heterogeneity of responses illustrates that many teachers are unaware of the best practices to implement to promote students’ acquisition of handwriting.

Implications.

As occupational therapists, knowing that the school environment might not always offer the right context to enable children’s acquisition of the task-specific features of handwriting should permeate our evaluation process and guide our interventions.