Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Cochlear implantation is a surgical procedure, where an electronic device is
implanted into the inner ear to give people, with severe to profound hearing loss,
access to sound and the spoken word. In spite of a wealth of international research,
local studies on cochlear implants, and more specifically research concerning the
experience of adolescents with the device, are limited. Adolescence, as a
development stage, is also a very difficult phase, which is marked as a crisis period
in the developement process towards maturity, as well as a continued
selfconsciousness and worry about how others perceive them. It may therefore be
deduced that the use of the cochlear implants could cause this to be an intense
experience during this developmental phase and that served as motivation to
conduct my research specifically on adolescents.
This generic qualitative study had a dual purpose: Firstly it endeavoured, through
explorative and descriptive research, to determine the experience of adolescents
with cochlear implants in school and also in other social circumstances. That
sparked off a better understanding and insight, concerning the experience of
adolescents with these devices. Secondly, the purpose of this study was to enquire
into and describe the experience of adolescents with their support systems. This in
turn lead to the identification of support systems, but also the lack of such systems in
the personal-, social- and learning environment.
An interpretative qualitative study was designed to explain the experience of
adolescents with cochlear implants. The Bronfenbrenner Bioecological Model of
human development was used as framework to discuss the complex experience of
adolescents with cochlear implants. The Asset based approach, as well as
Outcomes of well-being founded on the principles of Positive Psychology, was also
used as theoretical and conceptual framework to explain existing assets, support
systems and management strategies.
Four adolescents with cochlear implants and their parents took part in the the study.
In-depth data was generated through alternative methods of interviewing, which
were adjusted according to the unique requirements of each participant as well as
the level of their loss of hearing. Interactive activities, that targeted the interest of participants, were adapted to their language ability and visually interactive were also
used. Interviews were constantly supported by thorough field notes. Raw data was
then transcribed and processed by using the constant comparative method.
The themes, that were constructed from these, seem to indicate that the experieces
of these adolescents are unique and are influenced by several intrapersonal and
external factors. The exploration of these factors revealed the following:
• Adolescents with cochlear implants sometimes experience social exclusion at
school as well as amongst their friends.
• Various obstacles lead up to social exclusion: Firstly, adolescents with cochlear
implants are not able to follow group conversations and background
interference further hampers their limited hearing. Secondly, they experience a
lack of effort from their peers and teachers to include them in conversations,
because the latter have a wrong perception that cochlear implants restore deaf
people's hearing 100%.
• Participants often experience powerlessness concerning their deafness and are
selfconscious due to the visibility of the cochlear implant.
• Scholastic advancement is further hampered by the ignorence of teachers,
concerning the needs of learners with cochlear implants, and also due to
language impairments caused by their deafness.
• Personal strengths, like a positive outlook, assertiveness and perseverance,
along with coping strategies, like extreme effort and mediation by parents at
school, for their adolescents with cochlear implants, improve the resilience of
this group to handle the above mentioned obstacles.
• Other children with cochlear implants, the families of participants and school
are considered to be the primary support systems.
Suggestions, concerning the development and improvement of the support systems
of adolescents with cochlear implants, were made on the basis of the data results.
Due to the limited range of this study, further research suggestions have been made,
that are supported by the knowledge gained in this study about the experience of
adolescents with cochlear implants. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kogleêre inplantering is 'n chirurgiese metode, waar 'n elektroniese toestel in die
binneoor inplanteer word om mense met erge tot uitermatige gehoorverlies, toegang
tot klanke en gesproke taal te gee. Ten spyte van 'n rykdom internasionale
navorsing, is nasionale studies oor kogleêre inplantings, en meer spesifiek rakende
adolessente se ervaring daarmee, beperk. Adolessensie, as ontwikkelingstadium, is
ook 'n moeilike fase wat gekenmerk word as 'n krisistydperk in die
ontwikkelingsproses tot volwassenheid, asook volgehoue selfbewussyn en kommer
oor hoe ander hul ervaar. Die afleiding is dus dat die gebruik van kogleêre
inplantings tydens hierdie ontwikkelingsfase, aanleiding kan gee tot 'n intense
belewing daarvan en het dit daarom ook as motivering gedien om my ondersoek
spesifiek op adolessente te rig.
Die doel van hierdie generies kwalitatiewe studie was tweeledig: Eerstens het dit
gepoog om, deur verkennende en beskrywende navorsing, die ervaring van vier
adolessente met kogleêre inplantings in die skool, en ander sosiale hoedanighede,
te bepaal. Dít het aanleiding gegee tot 'n ruimer begrip en insig aangaande
adolessente se belewing met hierdie apparate. Tweedens het die studie ten doel
gehad om die adolessente se belewing van hul ondersteuningsisteme te ondersoek
en te beskryf. Dit het voorts gelei tot die identifisering van ondersteuningsisteme,
maar ook die leemtes daarvan in hul persoonlike-, sosiale- en leeromgewing.
'n Interpretivistiese, kwalitatiewe studie is ontwerp om die ervarings van adolessente
met kogleêre inplantings te verduidelik. Bronfenbrenner se Bioekologiese Model van
menslike ontwikkeling is as raamwerk gebruik om die kompleksiteit van adolessente
met kogleêre inplantings se ervaring te bespreek. Die Bategebaseerde benadering,
sowel as Uitkomste van welwees ("well-being") wat berus op die beginsels van die
Positiewe Sielkunde, is verder as teoretiese en konseptuele raamwerk gebruik om
bestaande bates, ondersteuningsisteme en hanteringstrategieë te verduidelik.
Vier adolessente met kogleêre inplantings en hul ouers het aan die studie deelgeneem.
Data is genereer deur alternatiewe metodes van onderhoudsvoering, wat
aangepas is volgens elke deelnemer se unieke behoeftes en verskillende grade van gehoorverlies. Daar is ook gebruik gemaak van interaktiewe aktiwiteite, wat op
deelnemers se belangstellings gerig was, volgens hul taalbekwaamheid aangepas is
en ook visueel ondersteunend was. Onderhoude is deurlopend met deeglike
veldnotas ondersteun. Rou data is getranskribeer en deur middel van die konstante
vergelykende metode verwerk.
Die temas, wat hieruit gekonstrueer is, dui daarop dat hierdie adolessente se
ervarings uniek blyk te wees en deur verskeie intrapersoonlike en eksterne faktore
beïnvloed word. Die verkenning van hierdie faktore het die volgende aan die lig
gebring:
• Adolessente met kogleêre inplantings beleef soms sosiale uitsluiting in die
skool, asook tussen hul vriende.
• Verskeie hindernisse gee aanleiding tot sosiale uitsluiting: Eerstens kan
adolessente met kogleêre inplantings nie gesprekke in groepe volg nie en word
hul gehoor verder deur agtergrondgeraas belemmer. Tweedens is hul belewing
dat hul vriende en onderwysers nie aanpassings maak om hul by gesprekke te
betrek nie, omdat hulle oor 'n wanpersepsie beskik dat kogleêre inplantings
mense wat doof is se gehoor 100% herstel.
• Deelnemers beleef dikwels magteloosheid oor hul doofheid en is selfbewus oor
die sigbaarheid van die kogleêre inplanting.
• Skolastiese vordering word belemmer deur onderwysers se onkunde
aangaande die behoeftes van leerders met kogleêre inplantings, maar ook as
gevolg van taalagterstande, wat deur hul doofheid veroorsaak word.
• Persoonlike sterktes, soos 'n positiewe lewensingesteldheid, beslistheid en
deursettingsvermoë, asook hanteringstrategieë, soos uiterse harde werk en
voorspraak, wat ouers vir hul adolessente met kogleêre inplantings by die skool
maak, bevorder veerkragtigheid ("resilience") by hierdie groep adolessente om
bogenoemde hindernisse te hanteer.
• Ander kinders met kogleêre inplantings, adolessente deelnemers se gesinne en
ook die skool word as primêre ondersteuningsisteme beskou.
Aanbevelings rakende die verbetering van adolessente met kogleêre inplantings se
ondersteuningsisteme is op grond van die bevindinge uit die data gemaak. Vanweë
die beperkte omvang van hierdie studie is daar ook, na aanleiding van verworwe
kennis aangaande die ervarings van adolessente met kogleêre inplantings, verdere
navorsingsvoorstelle gemaak.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/17998 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Du Toit, Susan |
| Contributors | Swart, E., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xi, 154 p. ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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