Stakeholders' Views on Use of Sign Language Alone as a Medium of Instruction for the Hearing Impaired in Zambian Primary Schools

Autor/in	Mandyata, Joseph
Titel	Stakeholders' Views on Use of Sign Language Alone as a Medium of Instruction for the Hearing Impaired in Zambian Primary Schools
Quelle	In: International Journal of Special Education, 33 (2018) 1, S.62-76 (15 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0827-3383
Schlagwörter	Stakeholders; Sign Language; Hearing Impairments; Foreign Countries; Case Studies; Qualitative Research; Oral Language; Language of Instruction; Language Acquisition; Elementary School Teachers; Elementary School Students; Disabilities; Elementary Schools; Zambia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Gebärdensprache; Hearing impairment; Hörbehinderung; Ausland; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Qualitative Forschung; Oral interpretation; Mündlicher Sprachgebrauch; Teaching language; Unterrichtssprache; Sprachaneignung; Spracherwerb; Elementary school; Teacher; Teachers; Grundschule; Volksschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Handicap; Behinderung; Sambia
Abstract	The study examined views of stakeholders on the use of Sign Language as a medium of instruction in the learning of hearing impaired in primary schools of Lusaka, Zambia. A case study design supported by qualitative methods was used. The sample size was 57, consisting of teachers, pupils, curriculum specialist, education standards officers, lecturers and advocators on the rights of persons with disabilities. Purposive sampling techniques to selected the sample, interview and focused group discussion guides were tools for data collection. The study revealed significant differences in views of stakeholders on use of Sign Language alone as medium of instruction. While most participants felt sign language alone was ideal for learning, others believed learners needed exposure to total communication (combination of oral and sign language) to learn better. Those who felt using sign language alone was better, believed the practice had more positive effects on learning and that use of oral language, total communication often led to confusion in classroom communication among learners with hearing impairments. Participants who opposed use of sign language alone were of the view teachers: were ill-prepared; signs were limited in scope; education system lacked instructional language policy and learning environment were inappropriate to support use of sign language alone in the learning process. The study recommended strengthening of training of sign language teachers and introduction of sign language as an academic subject before it can be used as the sole medium of classroom instruction in the Zambian primary schools. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	International Journal of Special Education. 2889 Highbury Street, Vancouver, BC V6R 3T7, Canada. Web site: http://www.internationalsped.com/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01