TEACHER'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS INCLUSION OF THE HEARING IMPAIRED INTO MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT Provision of special needs education is a great milestone in addressing the challenges found in learners with special needs. This research has been initiated to investigate how attitudes of regular primary school teachers have helped in inclusion of learners with hearing impaim1ent in a regular primary school. The investigation was centered in finding out attitudes towards people with hearing impairment, Salamanca statement and framework for the action and intervention of the hearing impaired and the hearing pupils and teachers in regular primary school. The findings indicated that most of the teachers in regular primary schools had not had any training in special needs education and most of them did not know the difference between inclusion and integration among others. The researcher suggests that teachers, parents, educational administrators, inspectors and community at large be made aware of the plight of the hearing impaired in terms of including them in regular schools instead of the current practice where the hearing impaired are isolated in segregated sectors.

TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ................................................................................................... i APPROVAL .......................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ..................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................... v ACRONYMS ....................................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................ viii CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background Information .............................................................................. 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................. 2 1.3 Purpose of the Study ...................................................................................... 2 1.4 Objectives of the Study .................................................................................. 2 1.5 Research Questions ....................................................................................... .2 1.6 Scope of the Study ......................................................................................... .3 1.6.1 Geographical Scope ...................................................................................... 3 1.6.2 Content Scope ............................................................................................... .3 1.6.3 Time Scope .................................................................................................... 3 1. 7 Significance of the Study .............................................................................. .3 1.8 Definition of Terms ....................................................................................... .4 1.9 Conceptual Framework for the Hearing Impaired ................................... .4 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................... 5 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE .......................................................... 5 2.0 Introduction .................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Historical Background .................................................................................. 5 2.2 Attitudes towards People with Hearing Impairments ................................ 9 2.3 Inclusion of Learners with Special Education Needs into Regular Schools ........................................................................................................... 9 2.4 Policy on Inclusion ....................................................................................... 10 2.5 Intervention of Hearing Impaired and the Hearing Pupils and Teachers in Regular Schools ...................................................................................... 13 2.6 Education of the Hearing Impaired Children .......................................... .14 2.7 Inclusion Practices in other Countries ...................................................... .15 2.8 Summary of Literature Review .................................................................. 16 CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................. 17 METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 17 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 17 3.1 Research Design ........................................................................................... 17 3.2 Sample Population ....................................................................................... 17 3.3 Sample Size ................................................................................................... 17 3.4 SamplingTechnique .................................................................................... 18 3.5 Data Collection ............................................................................................. 18 3.6 Types of Data Collected ............................................................................... 18 3.7 Instruments .................................................................................................. 18 V 3.8 Reliability of Instruments ........................................................................... 18 3.9 Data Analysis ................................................................................................ 18 3.10 Library Research ......................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................... 20 DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS AND INTEPRETATION ..................................................................................... 20 4.0 Introduction .................................................................................................. 20 4.1 Background Information ............................................................................ 20 4.2 Teachers Knowledge and Understanding of Inclusion of Hearing Impaired Learners ...................................................................................... 23 4.2.1 Rating of teachers understanding of the terms inclusion and integration .................................................................................... 24 4.2.2 Teachers understanding of terms inclusion and integration .................. 24 4.2.3 Barriers to Inclusion of the Heai-ing Impaired in Regular Classrooms as Stated by Teachers ..................................................................................... .25 CHAPTER FIVE ................................................................................................. 27 Summary, Recommendations and Conclusions ................................................ 27 5.0 Introduction .................................................................................................. 27 5.1 Summary ...................................................................................................... 27 5.2 Recommendation ........................................................................................ .30 5.3 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 31 5.4 Future Research Areas ............................................................................... .32 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... .33 APPENDIX (l):QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HEARING CHILDREN .............. 35 APPENDIX (11):QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS ............................... .37