Effects of Arabic-Braille Basal Reader on Qur'anic Reading Among Persons with Blindness in Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract: This study examined the effects of an Arabic-Braille Basal Reader on Qur’anic reading fluency among persons with blindness in Katsina State, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental 2x2x2 factorial design was adopted, involving 60 randomly selected participants from a special school for the blind. The Arabic-Braille Basal Reader, a structured instructional tool, was used as the treatment. Data were collected through pre-test and post-test assessments and analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The findings revealed a significant main effect of treatment on Qur’anic reading fluency (F(9,50) = 2.609, p < 0.05), as well as a significant effect of onset of blindness (F(1,58) = 18.722, p < 0.05), but no significant effect of gender. The research instrument demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.84 (internal consistency), a Cohen’s Kappa of 0.87 (inter-rater reliability), and confirmed construct and content validity through expert review. The study recommends the wider production and integration of the Arabic-Braille Basal Reader into Qur’anic instruction for blind learners, alongside teacher training and policy advocacy to enhance inclusive Islamic education.