The handwriting experiences of left-handed primary school students in a digital age:Australian data and critique/ Created by Hawkyard Ranae

Left-handers comprise about 10% of the Australian population. In Australia and elsewhere, there has been a history of discrimination against left-handedness, expressed in a variety of ways. Although negative attitudes to left-handedness have become less common in recent times, researchers have not investigated the extent to which left-handedness is now acknowledged or encouraged in Australian schools, or whether left-handed students have to overcome difficulties due to their handedness. This study investigated the handwriting experiences of 10 primary school students and the opinions of 11 primary school teachers on handwriting and on left-handed writers. The left-handed students identified a range of issues including the need for specialized writing equipment, writing speed and neatness. The teachers also mentioned these issues along with legibility and writing instruction. The results are discussed in terms of guidance on writing instruction and the place of writing in an increasingly digitized world.