Approches pédagogiques alternatives et développement de l’attention chez l’apprenant trisomique 21 : une étude de cas chez les apprenants t21 âgés de 4 à 11 ans au centre psychopédagogique Einstein de Yaoundé

Abstract

This thesis is intended to be a new avenue of reflection in the educational care of learners with mental disabilities. It is entitled: “Alternative educational approaches and development of attention in learners with Down syndrome: a case study among T21 learners from the Einstein psychoeducational center in Yaoundé” and is part of the field of psychopedagogy in mental disabilities, mental skills and advice. Increasingly, the policy of educational inclusion promoted by international organizations encourages families of people with disabilities and intellectual disabilities, in particular to send them to school. However, the educational implementations that follow remain unsatisfactory because they do not make it possible to respond to the different profiles and difficulties of these learners with disabilities. Among these difficulties we observe in particular the problem of lack of attention faced by T21 learners in class. It has therefore become increasingly difficult to capture the attention of T21 learners. This problem of lack of attention results in an inability to be able and willing to pay attention. To better understand this problem we mainly used the light beam theory of Posner (1981), the theory of attentional resources of Khaneman (1973), the theory of attentional filters (Broadbent et al., 1971) and the theory of socio constructivism (Vygotsky, 1934/1997). The objective of this study is therefore to show how alternative teaching approaches contribute to improving the attention of T21 learners. The question that guided our study was: How do alternative teaching approaches contribute to the improvement of the T21 learner? Faced with this question, we put forward the hypothesis that: Alternative educational approaches through learning through experimentation, cooperative learning, learning through relationships with reality and taking into account needs contribute to the improving attention in the T21 learner by making him an actor in his own learning process. The operationalization of this hypothesis allowed us to identify four specific hypotheses: We have: H.R1: Learning through experimentation improves the attention of the T21 learner through practical workshops and Learning by doing. H.R.2: learning through a relationship with reality improves the attention of T21 learners through the concrete learning experiences of these learners. H.R.3: cooperative learning improves the attention of the T21 learner through exchanges between the T21 learner and his class and between the T21 learner and his teacher (educator). H.R.3: learning by taking needs into account improves the attention of the learner T21 through taking into account the needs for autonomy, of affiliation and that of moving. To do this, we used a qualitative methodology which allowed us to collect data from six T21 learners registered at the Einstein psychoeducational center in Yaoundé. Data collection was based on an observation grid and an interview guide. The results obtained allowed us to confirm our initial hypothesis. At the end of this study, suggestions were made to the various stakeholders and those responsible for the education of T21 learners.