Thomas N. Kluwin

Self-perceptions of social relationships in hearing-impaired adolescents.

A social activity scale was administered to 220 mainstreamed hearing-impaired adolescents. In general, students reported participating in school activities more frequently with hearing-impaired than with hearing peers, but this was qualified by the extent that the students were mainstreamed. Ratings of participation with hearing-impaired peers decreased for the students who were mainstreamed for more classes. Students indicated that they were more emotionally secure with hearing-impaired peers, and there was no increase in emotional security with hearing peers with more mainstreaming. Responses of students who were mainstreamed for more classes suggested that they realized they had less interaction with hearing-impaired peers even though this was the group with whom they were most comfortable. Although these students were surrounded with hearing peers, this contact did not appear to promote identification and relational bonds with them. When there is opportunity for participation, the quality of the relationships is not necessarily positive.

The Effects of Integration on the Mathematics Achievement of Hearing Impaired Adolescents

In a study of three metropolitan high school programs for the deaf, a matched groups design was used to assess the relative effects of placement in an integrated class on the mathematics achievement of hearing impaired adolescents. The mathematics achievement of a group of 36 students in mainstreamed mathematics classes was compared with a group of 44 students in self-contained classes matched on the variables of mathematics ability, reading ability, degree of hearing loss, and social adjustment. An analysis of covariance controlling for prior achievement, sex, ethnicity, and degree of hearing loss showed that the integrated students performed significantly better than the students in the self-contained classes. A ‘post-hoc’ model of the differences in the instructional process is proposed to account for the differences which includes (a) higher expectations, (b) exposure to greater quantities of demanding material, (c) availability of individual support, and (d) training in academic content for regular mathematics teachers. The authors propose that differences are attributable to alterable factors in placements.

Coteaching Deaf and Hearing Students: Research on Social Integration

Coteaching, also known as team teaching, offers an alternative to the dilemma of choosing between the residential school, which offers a deaf community but sometimes a poor record of achievement, and inclusion, which promises better achievement but results in increased social isolation. Under a coteaching arrangement, deaf or hard of hearing students can share a deaf peer group while being exposed to the social contact and academic requirements of a mainstream class. The study sample consists of the deaf or hard of hearing students at one elementary school on the West Coast with extensive experience with coteaching, plus a random selection of their hearing peers. Students were administered the Piers Harris Childrens Self-Concept Scale (Franklin, 1981), My Class Inventory (Fisher & Barry, 1985), and the Childhood Loneliness Scale (Asher, Hymel, & Renshaw, 1984). Consistent results indicated that while age differences appeared, there were no negative social consequences of coteaching for deaf students. The study indicates that on the basis of social benefits, coteaching warrants further systematic research.

Cumulative Effects of Mainstreaming on the Achievement of Deaf Adolescents

A longitudinal study of 451 deaf adolescents in 15 local school districts across the United States addressed the cumulative impact of mainstream placement on achievement and grade point average (GPA). Initial between-group differences accounted for a greater proportion of the variance in actual achievement but less so for GPA. Advantages accrued to the more mainstreamed students; however, this may be as much related to overall course selection during high school as to the degree of mainstreaming of the student. Students who attended more classes and attended more academically demanding classes did have higher achievement levels across placement categories. The apparent cumulative effect of mainstream placement may be as much a product of different patterns of educational programming as of the advantage of a specific placement. Race as an expression of a constellation of variables was the largest factor in achievement differences but did not affect cumulative GPA.

Mathematics Achievement of Hearing Impaired Adolescents in Different Placements

This study, involving 215 students and 63 teachers, addressed three concerns related to mainstreaming for hearing impaired students: the selection process, the difference between a mainstream placement with an interpreter and a self-contained placement, and the quality of the educational experience. Almost half of the variance in achievement between the two settings is described. Three conclusions can be drawn. First, student background factors are a primary determinant of achievement. Second, mainstreaming with an interpreter has no specific effect on achievement for hearing impaired students. Third, the quality of instruction is the prime determinant of achievement, regardless of placement.

The Interaction of Race, Gender and Social Class Effects in the Education of Deaf Students

While racial effects have been noted in the education of the deaf in a variety of ways, gender effects are difficult to identify and social class effects are not discussed at all. Further, it is possible that these effects interact to produce unique effects. To examine these issues, a re-analysis of data from a longitudinal study of 451 deaf adolescents in local public schools was conducted. Results support previous observations about racial and gender effects and suggest that social class is an effect in the education of the deaf. In addition, there is very limited evidence to suggest an interaction of the effects. What is perhaps more critical is that the concept of race in relation to deaf education is an ambiguous concept and needs to be considered in light of parental income, educational attainment, and language attitudes rather than as a global concept.

Predicting Family Communication Choices

The selection of a mode of communication by members of a family with a deaf child is a critical decision in the life of that family since it will condition how the family will be able to function in the future. However, while some writers have considered the outcomes of this decision, there is little information on factors that influence the decision. The purpose of this study was to examine why families developed one pattern of communication rather than another. The data came from the parents of 192 deaf adolescents who responded to a nationally distributed questionnaire. Results suggest that the mother takes the lead in determining the familys choice of a mode of communication. The single largest influence on the mothers mode of communication was the childs degree of hearing loss, followed by the childs mode of preschool education and the mothers level of education. The implications of this study for those who wish to promote the use of manual communication in families with a deaf child is to target mothers, particularly those who are less well educated, for intervention and training programs.

Parent Characteristics and Educational Program Involvement

Researchers have noted the apparently contradictory phenomenon of parents highly supportive of their deaf or hard of hearing child but apparently uninvolved with their child s school program (e.g., Bennet, 1988; Boone, 1992; Harry, 1993). This study explored this phenomenon by asking: What are the characteristics of these children s care providers? What is the nature of involvement? Is there a relationship between involvement or noninvolvement and parents characteristics? One hundred and five parents of deaf children ages 2 to 8 years in five U.S. cities were interviewed to ascertain the characteristics of those providing care for these children and their ability to respond to educational program initiatives requiring a specific set of values as well as certain personal resources. The authors found that (1) there are distinct subgroups of parents with distinct capabilities for responding to their children s educational needs; (2) there are different forms of response to a child s educational needs; (3) there is an interaction between parent type and nature of the response.

The Role of Adaptability and Communication in Fostering Cohesion in Families with Deaf Adolescents

The families of 325 adolescents enrolled in local public high schools throughout the United States were surveyed to assess the relationship between the communication modes used by families and family cohesion. Cohesion is defined here as the degree of emotional bonding among family members. In a path analysis, family cohesion was predicted by the mothers use of sign language. In turn, the childs degree of hearing loss and the childs mode of communication predicted the mothers use of sign language. Based on the use of the FACES (family adaptability and cohesion evaluation) inventory and a parent communication questionnaire, the authors conclude that mothers who sign tend to be more family oriented.

The Effectiveness of Dialogue Journal Writing in Improving the Writing Skills of Young Deaf Writers

Various claims have been made for the usefulness of dialogue journal writing for improving the writing of less proficient users of English such as deaf writers of English or speakers of English as a second language. However, the bulk of the research has focussed on either student attitudes towards writing or very limited samples of student writing. In a one year project involving the exchange of dialogue journals between 204 pairs of deaf and hearing students in 10 public school districts, the authors sought to evaluate the utility of dialogue journals for improving the writing skills of the deaf writers. The age of the correspondents ranged from 10 to 18 years old in grades 4 through 12. Among the deaf writers, the average hearing loss was 89 dB in the better ear with a range of from 45 dB to 120 dB. The journal entries of 153 of the deaf students were evaluated for both changes in content and syntactic complexity. When the pair of writers maintained a relationship over time, there was an improvement in the quality of the writing of the deaf student and a change in the nature of the contents of the deaf students entries. Results suggest that for some young deaf writers an exchange of dialogue journals with hearing peers can both improve the writing skills of the deaf writer and develop a relationship between the correspondents. Suggestions for implementing such a program are included.