ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to investigate the effect of hearing impairments on the academic performance of the hearing impaired in regular schools in Kasarani division Nairobi. Most of these learners are ignored and exploited in the community, and face negative reactions from the surrounding community. Due to the slow pace of the government implementation of its policies, these learners with hearing impairments in Kasarani division, Ruaraka zone continue to be subjected to poor learning resources, unrevised curriculum, unmodified environment and handled by untrained personnel. All the obstacles mentioned above results in poor academic performance for such learners with hearing impairments in regular schools. The research was carried out using a quantitative approach. This was by means of questionnaires focused on effects of hearing impairments on the academic performance of learners with hearing impairments in regular schools. The questionnaires were sent to regular school teachers in schools with integrated children who have hearing impairments. The study focused on children with hearing impairments but the questionnaire:, were sent to their teachers since they are the ones to give a report about th,~rn as they handle them. It is also easier to reach them within K.asarani division. This would reduce the transport costs for the researcher. The questionnaires w,:rc written in simple language to enable the respondents to understand well so as io give appropriate information needed. The sampling procedure used was purposeful sampling whereby the researcher targeted the teachers of learners with hearing impairments and expected them to have a rich information needed about effects of hearing impairments on learning. These instruments used were questionnaires and aimed at finding out teachers· views about learners with hearing impairments and its effects on their academic performance. According to the results, the teachers said that it is important to traii; more: teachers on how to handle these learners. The research showed that most teachers have no skills on how to handle learner,, with hearing impairments, they also lack teaching aids and equipment since the above learners depend very much on their vision, and various channel:, of VI communication, sign language, manualism, oralism and combined methods of communication. They suffer a lot due to lack of effective communication skills in and outside schools. All these problems affect their academics. Teachers are also overloaded with a lot of work due to congested curriculum and overcrowded conditions. This shows that no time is left to attend to individuals with sp~cial needs. The research was to help the researcher look for reactions between learners with hearing impairments and their teachers and to establish effectiveness of communication methods and attitude towards handing them. It was hoped to contribute knowledge regarding the regular schools handling learners with hearing impairments appropriately to fulfill their needs so as to boost their academic standards like any other learners. The knowledge could be utilized by policy makers in addressing the pressing needs and also provide information to special education teachers and rtgctlar teachers to handle these learners in the right way as any other person on society.