Abstract
The study focused on difficulty with written expression. Written expression makes the written work of learners challenging to decipher and quickly leads to distortion in the communication process, which plays a vital role in determining the child’s ability to perform or meet the required criteria for that specific grade. The study collected data by carrying out semi-structured interviews with four educators who are teaching English Home Language. The data was then coded and broken down into themes. A total of five themes emerged from the interview transcripts. The results showed that there is a prevalence of learners who have difficulty with written expression with the educators suggesting that a significant percentage of the learners they teach exhibit difficulties with written expression. The teaching experiences of the educators ranged from 3 to 30 years. The results indicated that the teachers are not well equipped to teach such learners as the training and continuous professional development interventions did not adequately prepare them. The learners are therefore disadvantaged, and the suggested interventions include the use of teaching and learning technologies, training of teachers, various accommodations during classwork and assessment.
The study adds to the body of knowledge by contributing to discourse on learning disabilities and their impacts on learners. For the education practitioner the study provides concrete steps that the educators can take to help learners who exhibit difficulty with written expression.
Keywords: written expression difficulty, teaching and learning, interventions, learner performance.