EDUCATORS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE INCLUSION OF LEARNERS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT INTO ADVANCED LEVEL CLASSES AT SELECTED HIGH SCHOOLS IN GWERU URBAN (original) (raw)
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Children with hearing impairment have experienced discrimination from regular education. In the past, such children were institutionalised in separate classes or schools. According to Vayrynen (2000), most schools have been failing students with disabilities by denying them access to appropriate facilities. Children with hearing impairment have the right to be included in a least restrictive environment. Foster (1990) argues that to deny any child the opportunity to learn with their age mates age-mates and peers on grounds of an impairment is tantamount to jeopardising their later opportunity of living fully in a multi-cultural society. The Education Act (1987) in Zimbabwe stipulates that children with disabilities should be accommodated in ordinary schools for the purposes of learning. However, most teachers in Zimbabwean schools did not receive training on the teaching of children with impairments. It is on account of this that this present study attempts to gain insights into how children with hearing impairment benefit from learning in an inclusive environment with children whose hearing has no challenges. This article draws on a qualitative inquiry of teachers' experience in handling children with hearing impairment in their classrooms. A small sample of twenty (20) teachers comprising of ten (10) males and ten (10) females at Gomadoda cluster was chosen using purposive sampling. An interview schedule was used to collect data. Responses from respondents were captured and summarised to discern common patterns and then analysed and discussed. The study revealed that there are various problems met by children with hearing impairment in ordinary schools. The findings affirmed the assumption that most regular teachers lacked the necessary expertise and did not have adequate resources to handle children with hearing impairment. The study recommends that regular teachers undergo in-service programmes on how to effectively handle children with hearing
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Although some initiatives are implemented in the education of students with hearing impairments in the regular school, challenges are still encountered in their education. This article which is part of the results from an ongoing qualitative study in the NorthWest region of Cameroon addresses the different initiatives and challenges involved with including students with hearing impairment in regular schools. Interviews, participant observations as well as field notes were the main instruments used in collecting data from the six teachers and six students with hearing impairments who participated in the research. Academic support, classroom placement and the way of working of the sign language interpreters were considered the major initiatives and challenges in the education of the students with hearing impairment in regular schools. It is apparent that adequate adjustments have not been made within the schools to meet the needs of the students with hearing impairments. This hence questions their actual inclusion in the regular school. Necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. (UNCRPD, 2006)
Teaching learners with hearing impairments in inclusive learning environment require identification and elimination of learning barriers. The current education policy in Zambian, 'Educating our future' of 1996 stresses the need to teach learners with disabilities inclusively. Effective inclusion of learners with hearing impairments entails identification of their learning barriers and making the learning environment accommodative. This paper is a literature review of some barriers that learners with hearing impairments experience in learning in inclusive learning environments and some accommodative measures to consider when teaching learners with hearing impairments. In this article we shall first explore the concept of hearing impairment and inclusive education from a historical perspective and thereafter explore the barriers that learners with hearing impairments experience in learning and review some accommodative measures for learners with hearing impairments in inclusive environments.
Lecturer's perception on inclusive education of students with hearing impairment in the University of Ilorin , 2017
ABSTRACT Inclusive education refers to the philosophy and practice for educating children with special needs in general education settings. The practice anchors on the notion that every child should be an equally valued member of the school culture. In other words, children with disabilities benefit from learning in a regular classroom, while their peers without disabilities gain from being exposed to children with diverse characteristics, talents and temperaments. And hearing impairment is a brand term that refers to heavy losses of varying degrees ranging from hard of hearing to total deafness. Hearing impairment occurs when there is a problem with or damage to one or more parts of the ear. To be hearing impaired has been seen as the technical description of someone who is hard of hearing. Hence this study examined the perception of lecturers on inclusive education of student with hearing impairment in the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was used in carrying out this study. The population for this study consisted of all lecturers in the University of Ilorin. The samples for this study was selected using a purposive sampling technique on the basis of gender, age, years in service, religion, and marital status. A total of one hundred lecturers were used in carrying out this study. The research instrument used was a self-designed instrument titled "lecturer’s perception of inclusive education of students with hearing impairment (LPIESHI)". The questionnaire was designed having two sections, section A is the demographic data, while section B contains twenty (20) items to determine the perception of lecturers on inclusive education. The data obtained for the study were analyzed to determine to determine the perception of lecturers on inclusive education of students with hearing impairment in the University of Ilorin. The demographic data of the respondents were analyzed using frequency count and percentages. The hypotheses formulated were tested using t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). All the hypotheses will be tested at 0.05 alpha level. The study revealed that there was no significant difference in the perception of lecturers on inclusive education of students with hearing impairment in the University of Ilorin on the basis of gender, age, and years in service. It was also revealed that that there was a significant difference on the perception of lecturers on inclusive education of students with hearing impairment in the University of Ilorin on the basis of religion Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that there is need for restructuring the educational system in respect to educational needs of special students, Education and training in inclusive education for all lecturers, legislations that promotes inclusive education should also be made i.e. legislation across all public sectors should lead to the provision of services that enhance developments and processes working towards inclusion in education.
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This study focused on exploring Teachers' Perceptions of Inclusive Education of Students with Hearing Impairment in Public Secondary Schools in Morogoro Municipal, Tanzania. Students with hearing impairment have equitable access to education. The research employed a mixed research philosophy, whereby the convergent research design was used. The sample size used was 32 respondents, where 30 are teachers, heads of schools, and Municipal Secondary Education Special Need Educational Officers (HoS and MSESNO). The instruments used were questionnaires and interviews. The study found positive perceptions of teachers on inclusive education of students with hearing impairment. The study also found that teachers don't know how to use sign language which is the medium of information for students with hearing impairment. The study found that most of the respondents understand what inclusive education means, inadequate professional development, inadequate assistive technology for students with hearing impairment in inclusive regular schools Poor environmental conditions disrupt learning and teaching activities, few specialist teachers, and lack of stakeholder involvement make difficult to provide education for students with inclusive education also the curriculum is not suit students with hearing impairment. The study recommends in-service training of inclusive classroom teachers should be done from time to time by rechecking the inclusive education policies. Secondly, government should reform the curriculum which should show how students with disabilities are equitable access to education within the classroom. Thirdly, most teachers should be trained in using sign language to help students with hearing impairment in highly achieving academically. Fourthly, the infrastructure being rebuilt or built should be conducive to meeting the needs of all learners with disabilities as well as the availability of all assistive devices that may harmonize the learning process. By doing so, Tanzania may attain one of the keys to sustainable millennium goals of 'Education for All'.
Problems Faced by Students with Hearing Impairment in Inclusive Education at the University Level
This article reports on a qualitative study which was conducted to identify the problems faced by students with hearing impairment studying in inclusive education at the university level. The sample of the study consisted of all the four deaf students studying in Department of Special Education, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. A structured interview with open-ended questions was used to investigate the problems of students with hearing impairment. Collected data were analyzed through (transcribing and coding) the statements given by the deaf subjects. It was found that students with hearing impairment were facing many difficulties regarding mode of instruction used by the teachers in class room; lack of sign language interpreters, and teachers' (inability to use) sign language during instruction. It was surprising to find out that students with hearing impairment did not report any difficulty (socializing) with their hearing counterparts. The problems of students with hearing impairment can be reduced by making appropriate arrangement to meet their needs in inclusive classroom.
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Inclusion is a philosophy that focuses on the process of adjusting the home, school and the larger society to accommodate persons with special needs including disability. The success of provision of inclusive practices is contingent upon the quality of teaching in an inclusive setting and thus the purpose of this study was to investigate the pedagogical challenges teachers encounter in the implementation of special needs inclusive education for pupils with hearing impairments in public primary schools in Mombasa County, Kenya. The study investigated the challenges in the methods and practices of teaching and the availability of teaching/ learning resources for pupils with hearing impairments. This research was conducted in 20 schools in Mombasa County and it involved 210 teachers and 20 head teachers as the target population. It employed descriptive survey involving both qualitative and quantitative data. Descriptive statistics involving percentages and frequency distribution tables were used to present the results. The findings indicated that teachers' lack of sign language skills was a significant barrier to the implementation of inclusive education for pupils with hearing impairments. The study recommended sign language as a part of compulsory inclusive curriculum at both secondary and university education and introduction of sign language refresher courses to equip teachers with effective methods of teaching pupils with hearing impairments.
South African Journal of Communication Disorders, 1998
Research has clearly demonstrated a link between the attitudes of regular education teachers and the success of inclusion of learners with special educational needs. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the attitudes of a group of junior primary school teachers from the Gauteng area towards the inclusion of hearing-impaired children into regular classes. A survey research design was employed which utilized a questionnaire as the research tool. Analysis of results indicated that the teachers surveyed were relatively positive in their attitudes towards inclusion. Greater exposure to disability in terms of training and experience was related to more positive attitudes. Similarly, more positive attitudes were related to greater perceived competence in teaching hearing-impaired pupils. All of the teachers surveyed felt that speech-language pathologists and audiologists (SLPs As) should be involved in facilitating inclusion of hearing-impaired children. Many of the respondent...