Left-handedness as it affects industrial arts students

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The problems that left-handed students have in Industrial Arts courses, are more than in other courses. It involves the instructor, machinery, and the manipulation of hand tools. Thus, for this reason, the problems of a left-handed student are more serious in Industrial Arts. A questionnaire was filled out by high school and college students in Oklahoma and some left handed people were interviewed personally. The respondents data was used as the basis for the report of this survey, other related information was acquired through extensive library research.

Findings and Conclusions: The left-handed person is not abnormal. Left-handed individuals enjoy advantages in some fields. The percentage of left-handed individuals is increasing. Forced change of handedness may present difficult maladjustments. Instructors are aware of the problems encountered by their left-handed students. Some of the suggestions for helping left-handed students are: individual instruction, encourage left-handed students to enroll in shop classes, provide left-handed tablet arm chairs, attach vises on right-hand corner of benches, and place the student at work stations so that the light comes over his right shoulder. Finally, encourage industrial arts teachers to become more cognizant of the difficulties encountered by left-handed students.