Factors affecting literacy skills development among hearing impairments: a case at Magwero school for the deaf in Chipata district of eastern province.

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dc.contributor.authorBanda, James
dc.date.accessioned2022-06-21T07:15:58Z
dc.date.available2022-06-21T07:15:58Z
dc.date.issued2022-06-11
dc.descriptionThesisen
dc.description.abstractSeveral researches have showed that the literacy skills levels of learners with hearing impairment are below that of hearing students. This research sought to elucidate factors affecting literacy skills development among hearing impairments, using the case of learners at Magwero School for the Deaf in Chipata District of Eastern Province. The study employed mixed methods where both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used. The representative sample was composed of thirty participants were fifteen educators (twelve teachers and three administrators) ten learners selected using the purposive and stratification sampling technique and five parents who were conveniently selected. The Questionnaires, interviews and observation were the data gathering tools used. Data from teachers was collected through questionnaires and parents and HI learners were interview and focus group discussions respectively. The results showed that there are factors affecting literacy skills development among learners with hearing impaired and revealed that there was no formal teaching of Zambian Sign Language as a subject like English or local language from Pre-School to grade 12. In addition lack of Prereading books in sign language, pictures in sign language, as while as lack of trained pre-school special education teachers. There was lack of sign language materials that could be used in the teaching of Zambian Sign Language. It further revealed that teacher’s teaching methods had an impact on literacy skills development of the learners. It was also revealed that teacher’s failure to use and embrace new technology when teaching has affected skills development. The study has also revealed that lack of teachers’ and pupils use of resource centers to source for reading materials, instead they opted to use TALULAR that is Teaching and Learning Using Locally Available resources as teaching aids with no sign language in them, teacher’s incompetency in sign language and lack of training in sign language by teachers impacted negatively on the literacy skills development of HI learners, pupils were not interested in reading during pre-time instead they concentrated on sexual activities and that the IEP was no implemented due to high pupil to teacher ratio at School and the combining of grade affected the literacy skills development among HI learners. Learners had difficulties to comprehend words, sentences and to write good sentences. From the observations and interviews carried out, it was established that a lot of factors affecting literacy skills development made learners not to be exposed to interactive language as most of the people around them were not native signers. Very few interactions were noted among learners with hearing impairment, teachers and their parents as well as their hearing counterparts. It was also noted that the home language of HI learners was Cinyanja, which is different from the Sign Language and signed English used by their children with hearing impairment. The study revealed that the School has teachers who have not undergone any training in special education and sign language in particular and these teachers have just keen interest to teach hearing impairment despite this and this interest is also encouraged by some teachers who are incompetence in teaching sign language. The research observed that the Catch-up was not adopted by the School as a methodology to develop literacy skills among HI learners. The researchers further observed that the teachers at Magwero Deaf do not know that the 2013 revised curriculum introduced sign language as a subject and that there is sign language Syllabus in place from grade 1 to 7 to promote the literacy learning among the HI learners at primary school level. The general aim of was to enable learners with hearing impairment gain/acquire literacy competences that would enable them function comfortably in society. The study recommended strengthening of training pre-school special education teachers, training of sign language teachers and teachers to be sensitized to use sign language syllabus when teaching of sign language as an academic subject. They should use Zambian sign language and signed English as sole medium of classroom instruction. It was recommended that a variety of strategies to provide meaningful language experiences be employed.en
dc.description.sponsorshipThe University of Zambiaen
dc.identifier.urihttp://dspace.unza.zm/handle/123456789/7427
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherThe University of Zambiaen
dc.subjectChildren with disabilities--Education.en
dc.subjectMainstreaming in education.en
dc.subjectPersons With Hearing Impairments--psychology.en
dc.subjectEducation of Hearing Disabled.en
dc.titleFactors affecting literacy skills development among hearing impairments: a case at Magwero school for the deaf in Chipata district of eastern province.en
dc.typeThesisen
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