Browsing by Author "Bolanle Titilayo SEGILOLA"

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    Effect of Academic Functional Learning Aptitude Test Strategies on the Academic Achievement of Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Nigerian Inclusive Schools
    (Lead City University, Ibadan, 2025-12) Bolanle Titilayo SEGILOLA
    The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) in Nigeria categorises learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) under intellectually challenged group in both the constitution and the Inclusive Education Policy. This classification limits the exploration of academic achievement among ASD learners in Nigerian inclusive schools. To address this gap, the Academic Functional Learning Aptitude Test (AFLAT) model was developed. AFLAT comprises three components: academic aptitude diagnostics battery, teaching-learning strategies, and a support learning plan. This study aims to examines the main and interaction effects of AFLAT strategies on the academic achievement of ASD learners in inclusive settings, considering moderators such as gender, location, and socioeconomic status (SES). The study applies the treatment of AFLAT strategies with consideration to three theoretical reviews of ASD’s mind perception, functional cognition and Blooms taxonomy of learning to improve the academic achievement. Seven research objectives and hypotheses were formulated and tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A quasi-experimental design was employed to assess the impact of AFLAT strategies (independent variable) on academic achievement (dependent variable), incorporating moderating variables. A sample of 60 ASD learners was selected from a population of 954 across four Nigerian regions and five states using a multi-stage sampling technique. Instruments used for data collection include the AFLAT’s Specified Achievement Test (SAT-Guided) in selected subjects, and the Academic Aptitude Assessment Report (AAA-R), which provides aptitude ratings for academic performance. Instruments were subjected to face and content validity, and inter-rater reliability yielded a coefficient of 0.781, indicating good consistency. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics (Analysis of Covariance). Results showed significant main effects of AFLAT strategies on academic achievement (F(1,57)=19.812, p<0.05, η²=0.258), and a significant effect based on residential location, particularly among urban participants (F(1,57)=5.714, p<0.05, η²=0.091). These findings led to the rejection of null hypotheses 1 and 3. Post hoc was further used to estimate the direction of marginal means of the covariates in a chart. However, null hypotheses 2 and 4 were accepted, indicating no significant main effects for gender, (F(1,57)=0.910, p>0.05, η²=0.016) and main effect of socio-economic status (SES), (F(2,56)=0.807, p>0.05, η²=0.028) on academic achievement of ASD learners. Also, no significant interactions between AFLAT strategies and the moderating variables in hypotheses 5 to 7. These include; gender, (F(1,55)=0.249, p>0.05, η²=0.005), location of residence (F(1,55)=0.824, p>0.05, η²=0.015), and SES, (F(2,53)=0.260, p>0.05, η²=0.010). The estimated marginal means here differed only minimally across groups. In conclusion, ASD learners in the treatment group showed immediate academic improvement, when compared to the control group. The study recommends that stakeholders in education, health, and social inclusion sectors should prioritise the learning of specially impaired learners considering academic and aptitude approaches based on AFLAT strategies to enhance learning outcomes in inclusive schools. This research contributes to the pedagogical structure of inclusive education, highlighting AFLAT’s potential to benefit not only ASD learners but also those with other impairments and neurotypical learners in the Nigerian inclusive schools. Keywords: Academic Functional Learning, Aptitude Test, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Academic Achievement. Word Count: 500