EFFECTS OF FINE MOTOR TRAINING IN IMPROVING THE LEGIBILITY OF HANDWRITING OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

The research aims to study the impact of fine motor training on improving handwriting legibility of students with special educational needs (SEN) in a Special Education Integrated Programme (SEIP) in the Pitas area. Besides, the study also aims to assess the existing level of handwriting legibility of students with special educational needs (SEN). Using a quantitative approach through quasi-experimental methods, the study involved pre-post testing of unbalanced groups that both groups of respondents had almost the same characteristics. The sample selection is purposefully sampled, i.e. the selected respondents have almost the same characteristics of handwriting skills and involve four students with special educational needs divided into two groups, the control group, and the treatment group. The instrument used is an adaptation of the Handwriting Legibility Scale (HLS) which has been translated into Bahasa and modified according to the study's relevance. Data obtained through pre, and post-tests were then analysed using descriptive analysis involving averages (min) through Microsoft Excel software. Findings show that fine motor training can improve handwriting legibility of students with special educational needs by an average of (min) 15 scores and indicate an increase in the level from very poor to moderate. Fine motor skills are important to master for all students with special educational needs as these skills have a huge positive impact on their quality of life in the future. Fine motor training was also seen to have an impact on handwriting skills as well as handwriting legibility of students with special educational needs.