Facilitators and barriers to acquisition of literacy skills among learners with hearing impairments in lower grades: a case of Chilanga primary school special unit of Chilanga district, Lusaka, Zambia.

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Date
2022-06-10
Authors
Zulu, Chuma Clementine
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Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Hearing impairment has been a major disability challenge globally and is considered to be a threat to quality education in developing countries like Zambia. This dissertation focuses on the facilitators and barriers faced by teachers and learners with hearing impairment in a special school environment in Zambia. The study was conducted in a selected school in Chilanga District, Zambia in 2021. The qualitative research approach was the main method adopted but interviews were used to collect basic demographic data about the respondents. The target groups were hearing impaired students, teachers, senior teachers and head teacher of the selected primary school for special education. In total, 30 respondents participated in the research (20, students, 6 teachers, 3 senior teachers and 1 head teacher). The study revealed that students with special needs education are facing multiple challenges such as; lack of adapted curriculum to suit the HI learners, discrimination and prejudice, absence of sign language qualified teachers, lack of educational materials, disaggregated data research about disability, stigma by community or community attitude, inadequate specialist teachers and resource centers, shortage of specialized teaching and learning resources and assistive devices, ignorance or unawareness of most people that disability is not inability, lack of parental involvement in case of literacy skills knowledge on how to help their children with homework, lack of parental sensitization on the importance of literacy and sign language skills and poor specialized infrastructure for HI learners. These challenges posed both long and short term impact on the academic performance of students attached to the center. This study concludes that disabled students especially those with hearing impairment in Chilanga, Zambia are struggling to attain basic education. It is recommended that the Zambian government improve financial funding and ensure that basic needs for hearing equipment and food supply be made available to all disabled students suffering from hearing impairment. This study serves a baseline for future studies about challenges facing disabled people in Zambia.
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Keywords
Deaf--Education. , Hearing impaired--Education. , People with disabilities--Education.
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