Benefits And Challenges Of Including Learners With Hearing Impairment In Inclusive Schools In The Khomas And Oshana Regions

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to identify the benefits and challenges of including learners with hearing impairments in inclusive schools in Khomas and Oshana regions. The study was guided by the following research questions: 1) What did learners, teachers and parents perceive to be benefits of including learners with hearing impairments in inclusive secondary schools in Oshana and Khomas Regions? 2) What did learners, teachers and parents perceive to be challenges of including learners with hearing impairments in inclusive secondary schools in the Oshana and Khomas Regions? 3) What did inclusive schools in the Oshana and Khomas Regions have in place in terms of resources, infrastructures, teaching strategies and support to enhance the wellbeing of learners with hearing impairments in inclusive classrooms? A qualitative study was carried out and the criterion purposive sampling strategy was used to select the sample. A total number of 21 people participated in the study. The participants included 12 teachers, five parents/guardians and four learners. Semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis were used to collect data while a qualitative data analysis technique of transcribing and categorising the responses was used to analyse the collected data. The study revealed that inclusion is beneficial to learners with hearing impairments. Among potential benefits were socialisation opportunities, inclusivity in the school environment, teacher’s empowerment, academic benefits and preparation for after school life. The study also discovered that inclusion does not only benefit learners with hearing impairments, but also benefit hearing learners and teachers. However, lack of teacher’s training, problems with interpreters, lack of interaction, academic performance, the teaching and learning process, problems with sign language interpreters and parental involvement in the teaching and learning process were identified to be some of the challenge hindering the inclusion of learners with hearing impairments. The study also found that teachers’ support, use of competent interpreters, collaboration, classroom management such as seating arrangements and the use of visual teaching aids were among the strategies that the

iii

school made use of to enhance the wellbeing of learners with hearing impairments in inclusive schools. The study concluded that the challenges of inclusion outweighed the benefits and therefore more resources, better preparation for all school and teachers’ collaboration with all stakeholders were needed to ensure the effective implementation of inclusion. The recommends continuous professional development seminars and in-service training for the teachers at inclusive schools.