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Psychosocial experiences of left-handed children: Phenomenological study

Sewalem Tsega Agegnehu 1 * ,
Rahel Gebre 2
1 Addis Ababa University, ETHIOPIA2 Private NGO, ETHIOPIA* Corresponding Author
Educational Point, 1(1), 2024, e106
Publication date: Aug 25, 2024
Research Article
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ABSTRACT

The study was intended to explore the psychosocial experiences of left-handed students in selected religious schools in Addis Ababa. A phenomenological qualitative research design was used to understand their experiences. An in-depth interview with sixteen left-handed students was conducted purposefully in four faith-based schools, and observation was employed and analyzed by Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. The findings showed that left-handed children go through supportive and challenging experiences at home and in school settings. The supportive experiences were accepting, understanding, and encouraging left-handedness by various social members. However, the challenging experiences focus more on the repression of the left hand, and this repression is influenced by different religious and cultural beliefs, physical environment, and educational factors. These factors repress left-handers by ignoring their special needs, comparison with siblings, and forbidding performing different tasks using their left hand. Left-handed children also experience suggestions from different societies to practice using their right hands. Left-handed children were found to have particular experiences and feelings different from relatives and other societies. The study suggests that awareness raising about left-handedness and understanding of their unique experience and challenges helps to support left-handed children, among others, from bullying and teasing. Therefore, this study has implications for parents and the school community, educational training, and other initiatives that want to be involved, and the implications for further study were discussed.

KEYWORDS

left-handedness psychosocial experience religious schools

CITATION (APA)

Agegnehu, S. T., & Gebre, R. (2024). Psychosocial experiences of left-handed children: Phenomenological study. Educational Point, 1(1), e106.
Harvard
Agegnehu, S. T., and Gebre, R. (2024). Psychosocial experiences of left-handed children: Phenomenological study. Educational Point, 1(1), e106.
Vancouver
Agegnehu ST, Gebre R. Psychosocial experiences of left-handed children: Phenomenological study. Educational Point. 2024;1(1):e106.
AMA
Agegnehu ST, Gebre R. Psychosocial experiences of left-handed children: Phenomenological study. Educational Point. 2024;1(1), e106.
Chicago
Agegnehu, Sewalem Tsega, and Rahel Gebre. "Psychosocial experiences of left-handed children: Phenomenological study". Educational Point 2024 1 no. 1 (2024): e106.
MLA
Agegnehu, Sewalem Tsega et al. "Psychosocial experiences of left-handed children: Phenomenological study". Educational Point, vol. 1, no. 1, 2024, e106.

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