M.Ed. (Educational Linguistics) / A major difficulty in teaching English to Deaf high school students is the struggle they have in understanding the densely figurative language of prescribed literature. This research has focused on this particular area of English teaching in order to investigate and describe the complexities, and aetiology, of the problem and possibly thus aid instruction design in this area. The dearth of studies on Deaf education in South Africa has left teachers/practioners in the unstable position of isolation in strategies used to help Deaf students achieve a workable understanding of metaphorical English as it is used in daily communication and more specifically, in studying, understanding and passing written examinations of prescribed English literature. There are presently so many conflicting views and parctices in the world of Deaf education, some of which constitute the theoretical and actual frameworks within which this research is carried out. The explication of this context entails some discussions of learning theories and issues particular to Deaf education such as language acquisition, the medium of instruction, cognitive development and socio-cultural perspectives on Deafness. It is the lack of a strong policy which often leaves Deaf students adrift in a sea of conflict between educators, school policies and the Deaf community. There is little consistency or long term design in the teaching strategies and syllabus development for the Deaf; certainly none that matches the relatively orderly progress in hearing education. The result is a fluctuating standard of education in special schools for the Deaf, the deafness itself often being given the blame for any inadequacies. The research problem in this enquiry is approached qualitatively and has taken the form of a case study which is set within the context of a real classroom situation. The study involves three pupils (out of a possible six) and covers a period of eighteen months in order to monitor their development in the use and understanding of metaphor. Data were gathered from group lessons, written responses and questionnaires as well as informal discussions with Deaf children, Deaf adults and teachers of the Deaf. Data were then analysed and tentative conclusions drawn concerning the accessibility of metaphorical language to Deaf children. Some suggestions concerning teaching strategies are proposed and these could be used by other educators and researchers to formulate instruction material in future curricula.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether working in the field of deaf education, as opposed to general education, results in a higher level of technology integration. A secondary goal was to determine if deaf educators who are deaf integrate technology at a higher level than their hearing counterparts. The instrument chosen for this study was the LoTi Technology Use Profile, a tool used to explore the role of technology in the classroom. A total of 92 participates were included in the study of which 48 were regular educators and 44 were deaf educators. The participants were selected from a population pool whereby teachers were presumably pre-disposed to using technology based upon their attendance at a technology training session in the form of a conference or a class. Deaf educators as a whole did not perform as well as general educators on the LoTi scales. Given the fact that the technology-minded general educators who comprised the sample population of this study scored exceptionally high on the LoTi scales, further research is needed to ensure comparability between the two groups. The findings of the current study do suggest, though, that deaf educators who are deaf have the potential to integrate technology to a greater degree than deaf educators who are hearing. Thus, a primary recommendation is to conduct a national LoTi survey of typical, rather than technology-minded, deaf educators as a comparison to the 2004 national survey of typical general educators.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between hearing mothers' methods of communication with their prelingually deaf childern, and those children's reading comprehension scores, as measured by the Stanford Achievement Test, Special Edition for Hearing Impaired Students, 1973, (SAT-HI). The subjects of this study were 201 prelingually deaf students from six randomly selected residential schools for the deaf from throughout the United States. All subjects had hearing losses of 91db (ANSI) or greater, had lost their hearing before age three, used some form of manual communication as their primary method of learning and communicating, were ages 11.25 through 19.83, had been enrolled for at least the past three years in residential schools which subscribed to the total communication philosophy, had no additional handicapping conditions, had natural mothers who were able to complete the Mother's Questionnaire, came from families who used English as the primary spoken language, and had parents whose hearing was normal. Questionnaires were sent to schools and mothers to obtain information regarding the dependent variable (reading comprehension scores); the primary independent variables (methods of communication used by mothers, ages of the children when signing mothers began to use manual communication, and skill levels of mothers who used manual communication); and a number of secondary independent variables. The date were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, multiple ANOVA's, multiple regression analysis and analysis of covariance. Chronological age and non-verbal IQ acted as covariates. Results indicated that, for the subjects of this study, the method of communication used by mothers of prelingually deaf children had no significant relationship with their children's reading comprehension scores. Of the subjects whose mothers used manual communication, no significant relationship was found between reading comprehension and the ages of the children when their mothers began to sign with them. Conversely, a significant relationship was found between reading comprehension scores and signing skill levels of mothers as reported by both mothers and schools. Because of questionable validity of some of the measures, difficulties in interpretation of the ANCOVA, inability to control for ethnic background, limitations in subject selection, and the small number of subjects in Group 1; the findings of this study should be considered to be speculative, at best.

Master of Education - Deaf Studies / In accordance with Education policy post 1994 there is currently a move in South Africa toward implementing an inclusive approach to educating learners who experience barriers to learning into regular/mainstream schools. Such an inclusive philosophy is considered, at policy level, to be the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities, building an inclusive society and achieving education for all (Department of Education, 2001). From an inclusive viewpoint, it is important that all learners are given the best education possible from an academic, emotional and social perspective and emphasis is placed on, educating the whole child by meeting individual needs through the identification and accommodation of any barriers to learning. Within such an education and training system, it is important that Deaf learners are not excluded and that the practice of inclusion takes into account the needs of all Deaf learners. The intention of this research project is to provide an accurate account of the current situations in schools for the Deaf throughout South Africa with regards to barriers to learning and development. It will examine whether these schools, currently, foster the ideals of inclusion as made explicit in White Paper Six (Department of Education, 2001). This thesis will also investigate whether Deaf learners in schools for the Deaf, have access to the most appropriate, least restrictive barrier free education. In order to achieve this, a questionnaire, based on the barriers to learning and development as identified by the above-mentioned document, was sent by post to every principal working in schools for the Deaf in South Africa. In addition, the research intends to determine whether barriers to learning and development are presently being experienced by Deaf learners in current schools for the Deaf and if so, what barriers are being experienced and how these barriers can be addressed and prevented so that Deaf learners be accommodated in a manner that promotes a school environment that is most appropriate and least restrictive for Deaf learners. From the findings it was revealed that schools for the Deaf do not foster inclusive principles as many Deaf learners experience barriers to learning and development as identified in White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001: 7 & 18) within schools for the Deaf. To address the barriers found in the findings of the study, this dissertation provides recommendations to assist principals with strategies and information necessary for transforming schools for the Deaf in order to become inclusive and thus provide Deaf learners with access to the most appropriate, least restrictive education possible.

Esta pesquisa analisa os primeiros marcadores de aquisição de língua de sinais em uma criança surda, filha de pais ouvintes em um ambiente onde a língua foi propiciada por meio de interlocutores Surdos e ouvintes, usuários da Libras. Ao considerarmos que, a criança surda tem seu desenvolvimento de linguagem construído prioritariamente na escola especial, discutiremos o papel dos interlocutores envolvidos nessa relação e procuraremos compreender o efeito do ambiente na construção da língua de sinais em crianças surdas, filhas de pais ouvintes. O trabalho se fundamenta na teoria histórico-social de Vygotsky e seus seguidores, pressupondo a linguagem como constitutiva do conhecimento e construtora de sentidos. A pesquisa foi realizada, na Escola para Crianças Surdas Rio Branco da Fundação de Rotarianos de São Paulo onde foi criado no ano de 2001 o Programa de Estimulação do Desenvolvimento. A fonoaudióloga e atual pesquisadora, junto com um instrutor surdo nesse programa que tem por objetivos principais a aquisição da língua de sinais das crianças inscritas e o aprendizado da língua pelos pais. A pesquisa se desenvolveu nesse espaço e o material colhido durante a realização do Programa teve quatro episódios recortados, que aqui serão apresentados e discutidos. O material foi analisado em uma perspectiva microgenética buscando, o efeito de do ambiente e evidenciando as marca do desenvolvimento da língua de sinais e seus efeitos na relação e na aquisição da língua. Desse material analisado, concluímos que o pressuposto de linguagem a partir do qual concebemos a criança Surda é determina os serviços que oferecemos a ela, assim ao concebermos a linguagem como constitutiva do sujeito. Modificando o modo de significar esses sujeitos e podemos nos organizar socialmente de modo que a criança Surda possa nascer culturalmente. Esses pressupostos devem ser colocados em trabalhos que se destinem a bebês Surdos, pois somente o trabalho com bebês Surdos que contemple a interlocução com um outro significativo Surdo possibilitará o pleno desenvolvimento lingüístico, social e cultural desse bebê como alguém que pertencerá a uma comunidade de iguais na sua diferença, mas que compartilham a mesma língua e a mesma visão de mundo. / This research analyses the first markers of Sign Language acquisition in a deaf child from hearing parents in an environment where the language was present by Deaf and hearing partners who use Libras. Considering that the deaf child has the development of language built mainly at the special school, we will discuss the role of the interlocutors involved in this relationship and we will try to understand the effect of the environment on the construction of Sign Language in Deaf children from hearing parents. This work is derived from Vigotsky social-historical theory and his followers. We understand that language constitutes the foundation of knowledge and is responsible for the construction of meanings. The research took place at the Escola para Crianças Surdas Rio Branco da Fundação de Rotarianos de São Paulo where the Development Stimulation Program was created in 2001. The language therapist, who is also the researcher, worked together with a Deaf instructor in this Program and they had, as main objective, the acquisition of Sign language by the children enrolled in the Program and the learning of sign language by the parents. The research was developed at the school and the material that will be presented and discussed is based on four sessions that were selected from the Program. The data was analyzed in a micro genetic perspective searching the effect of the environment and evidencing the development marks of the Sign Language and its effects in the language relation and acquisition. From the material analyzed we concluded that the projected way we consider language and how we perceive the Deaf child is what establishes the services that are offered to him/her. So, when we conceive language as a tool for the constitution of the human being, we modify the way we represent the Deaf child and we can organize ourselves in a social way that allows the child to be born culturally. These assumptions must be used in works that are intended to Deaf babies because only the work with Deaf babies contemplates the interrelation with one Deaf significant that will allow the baby cultural, social and linguistic entire development as someone that will belong to a community of equals in their difference but that share the same language and the same world comprehension.

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) has been shown to facilitate positive outcomes in language learning environments, including greater motivation, positive attitudes, and increased interactive quantity and quality of language use. This study posits that CMC can serve as an affordance that allows for increased opportunities for deaf students to engage in direct, collaborative learning and meaningful interaction in English that then allows for increased motivation, improved visualizations of the self, attitudes, and self-efficacy in English language learning. Changes in these outcomes due to the intervention of CMC in college English classes designed for the deaf student will be assessed with pre- and post-tests, using hierarchical linear modeling as a statistical methodology to capture class effects. Qualitative analyses will also capture greater levels of complexity in instructor and student experiences with CMC through interviews, observations, and transcript analysis. This report also includes an evaluation plan with an outline of the essential program components, a logic model, and analysis plan based on stakeholder questions. / text

Deaf individuals’ relationship with English has historically been problematic, in large part because of the lack of full accessibility to the language. However, language takes up not only communicative space, but also psychological space in our lives. The psychological dimensions involved with English language learning for deaf individuals are largely unknown. This study addressed this gap by exploring psychological dimensions involved with language learning for deaf individuals while concurrently exploring the role of computer-mediated communication in enhancing direct and interactive accessibility of English. The psychological dimensions of interest in this study originate from self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977), possible selves (Markus & Nurius, 1986), and the L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009a). This study had three main goals: 1) to examine the motivational characteristics of deaf language learners, 2) to assess whether those characteristics would change over time, and 3) to assess the role of CMC in language learning experiences. This study took place over the course of a semester in college classes designed for deaf students studying English. Selected classes were asked to use online chat as an instructional tool. Measures were administered at the beginning and the end of the semester, and students were asked to participate in focus groups to discuss their experiences. A mixed methods approach that made use of quantitative and qualitative methods was used to capture the complexity involved in second language learning for the deaf student, including contextual influences. Overall findings indicate that deaf students’ self-images, self-efficacy beliefs, attitudes, and motivated behaviors about English were positive, but significantly influenced by the context in which language use occurs. When the environment was seen as accessible, beneficial, and enjoyable, deaf students were able to utilize greater levels of individual agency towards the aim of learning English. Computer-mediated communication emerged as an affordance that enabled “seeing English,” indicating dynamic, interactive engagement with English when ideal conditions were met. Thus, CMC appears to allow for a language learning experience that is available and accessible for deaf learners, and can provide opportunities to prime possible selves as English language users. / text

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Recently, in the South African and the international context, teacher identity investigations have dominated the landscape of transformation in education, in an attempt to understand the relationship between teachers’ identities and their practice of teaching. However the dearth of research on deaf education and D/deaf teachers has created a gap in our comprehensive understanding and this study has aimed to address this void and advance existing theory. This project focused individually and collectively on five Deaf teachers and how they experienced their deafness in widely differing circumstances at various stages in their lives from childhood to adulthood. The project explored firstly, how the participants constructed their identities as people living with deafness; how they understood and interpreted their lives in the context of deafness. The second component of the investigation addressed how they negotiated their deafness related identities in their practice as teachers. My purpose was to know through their personal stories how they have come to explain and know themselves as Deaf persons, how deafness gives character to their lives and how this image guides their practice as teachers. The participants, who teach in schools for D/deaf learners in KwaZulu-Natal, were drawn from a larger cohort of Deaf teachers that qualified from a three-year pilot teacher education programme designed to train D/deaf teachers to teach D/deaf learners. At the time of the research, participants were in their eighth year of teaching. Through unstructured interviews, conducted via the medium of South African Sign Language, data was obtained in the form of narratives of participants’ lives which were captured in three seamless phases that included their childhood, schooling and their experiences as teachers. The signed data was transcribed into written English text. The written text which was collaborated by participants, was used for the analysis This study has examined their individual life stories and the construction of their identities as D/deaf persons, against the backdrop of proclaimed Deaf cultural identity, where difference rather than disability is highlighted. In the analysis I argue from a post-structural perspective that the participants’ claim to positioning in either Deaf or deaf or hearing discourses is not fixed and rigid. Instead positioning overlaps fluidly and continuously between the three discourses with participants taking on character and conventions from Deaf, deaf and hearing discourses. They transition consciously or unconsciously between the systems and create multiple and contradictory identities. In addition I argue that cohesiveness and coherence in the conceptualization of a Deaf cultural community and Deaf identity is non-existent, when viewed from a post-structural lens. The institutional resources that shape their teacher identity constructions include colleagues, learners, the parent community, the curriculum, and other micro-interactions. The institutional resources intersect with biographical resources of race, religion, gender, social class, childhood and later experiences, relationships, recollections, role-models and other signifiers. A multitude of intersections and permutations emerge, to create an inexhaustible inventory of teacher positions embedded in the general discourse of teaching and discoursed by teaching. In both instances, that is, as D/deaf person and as D/deaf teacher, the school is the site that instantiated the D/deaf identity and the teacher identity and the cultural discourses that prevail in schools are the sites of resistance, acceptance and negotiation of identities. Here identity emerges in the space where subjectivities intersect with narratives of social, cultural and political discourses. This research which draws from the Deaf educators’ personal and professional experiences and is articulated through the medium of South African Sign Language, hopes to bring the educators’ histories together, and through these reflect on their lives, visualizing new possibilities for understanding deafness in an educational and cultural context. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.