Abstract:

This paper aims to determine to what extent teachers adapt their modes of work according to learners’ individual needs. The research is concerned with students with learning disabilities and the development of professional teachers’ competencies in reading comprehension interventions and teachers` work with SEN (Special Educational Needs) learners. The research was conducted in lower- and upper-secondary schools in Slovakia. The aim of the research was to find out to what extent teachers` competencies are developed when intervening to improve reading comprehension in learners with learning disabilities. The theoretical framework will shed light on the reading comprehension process, specific teachers` professional competencies necessary for educating students with learning disabilities and particular characteristics of this group of exceptional learners. As a result, the research aims to investigate the strategies that play an essential part in identifying students with learning disabilities. Besides that, the relationship between using reading strategies and improving the student’s reading comprehension skills is examined. The practical part applies quantitative and qualitative methods accompanied by checklists and questionnaires for teachers and interviews for students. The results show teachers of both lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools applied diverse approaches, such as analysing students' written work, observing their behaviour in reading activities, and implementing standardized assessments, to identify learners with dyslexia and dysgraphia. The findings revealed that cooperative learning techniques are particularly effective in supporting students with dyslexia and dysgraphia in reading comprehension lessons while emphasizing the need for further training in various strategies supporting reading intervention programmes. The results showed that effective teaching strategies for reading comprehension require a comprehensive approach and further research should investigate how technology can be used to support these learners in developing their reading skills. The experimental teaching also pointed to the importance of providing explicit instruction in comprehension strategies for learners with learning disabilities.

Keywords:

professional competencies, reading comprehension, individual needs, questionnaire, learning disabilities.