Abstract
The study employed a qualitative approach which focused on the communication experiences of hearing-impaired learners at chosen school. Learners and teachers took part in semi-structured interviews which sought to get the views of both the learners and the teachers on the communication challenges that impact teaching and learning. The study sought to explore the communication experiences in learning environments of learners with hearing impairments based on the views of the learners and their teachers. The study used Vygotsky’s Social Interactionist Theory which is based on the notion that language is a social tool.
The study used a qualitative approach where semi-structured interviews were held with educators who teach children with hearing impairments as well learners who are hard of hearing. The two samples were purposively chosen as the teachers are working at a school that focuses on learners with hearing impairments. The school and the educators were chosen because of ease of access.
The main findings of the study are that there are communication challenges that range from lack of fluency in SASL, to lack of technology that fosters communication with the result being that some learners are not performing well. The study recommends that there should be a holistic approach to dealing with the communication challenges.
Keywords
Deaf culture; hearing impaired; language Pedagogy; SASL; teaching and learning.