Academic Challenges of Students with Hearing Impairment (SHIs) in Ghana

Efua Esaaba Mantey Agyire-Tettey , Marigold Cobbina , Emma Seyram Hamenoo
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v28i3.646
Submitted: 2020-09-14 11:43:31
Published: 2017-11-27

Purpose: Several researches have showed that the average academic performances of students with hearing impairment (SHIs) are below that of hearing students. This research sought to elucidate challenges that prevent SHIs from high academic achievements, using the case of students in Tetteh Ocloo State School for the Deaf in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

Method: A qualitative research design was used for data collection through in-depth interviews, analysis and the interpretation of the responses of thirty participants (12 Students with hearing impairments, 11 parents and 7 special educators).

Results: Findings showed that challenges which hinder SHIs academic performance emanate from different systems and actors including SHIs themselves, their parents and other institutional barriers that exist in deaf education. The findings also indicated that parents influenced the academic performance of their children with hearing impairment (CHI) through their responsibilities, expectations and the learning assistance they gave to their wards at home. Results also established that institutional barriers such as effective instructional procedures adopted in deaf education, availability of facilities, teaching, reading learning materials, and curricular contents posed challenges to the academic performance of students with hearing impairment.

Conclusion: The identified challenges which prevent SHIs from higher academic performance are from different systems of SHIs’ environment and the interplay between them. The study recommends that interventions must be directed at the different systems within their environment.

Keywords

Disability academic performance education

Authors

Efua Esaaba Mantey Agyire-Tettey

Efua Esaaba Agyire-Tettey is a lecturer at the Department of Social Work, University of Ghana. Her research specialties are disability and social protection, human rights, violence and conflict management. She also has experience and interest in gender issues and the general discipline of humanities. She is a strong advocate for  vulnerable people in the society and she is involved in a variety of community awareness services that provide her the opportunity to help others.

Marigold Cobbina

Marigold Cobbina is a Social Work practitioner with a degree in Social Work  and a certificate in Peer Counselling. She currently  works in a residential facility for vulnerable children and persons with disability. She is also an Assistant Programmes Coordinator of an outreach programme which sponsors the education of children in slum communities in Accra. Her research interest includes disability issues, gender and community development.

Emma Seyram Hamenoo

Emma Seyram Hamenoo is a lecturer at the Department of Social Work, University of Ghana. Her research interests are human trafficking,  disability and peer counseling. She also has experience and interest in gender issues, violence and conflict management, refugees and the general discipline of of humanities. She is a strong advocate for trafficked children in the society and she is also involved in community awareness services for human trafficked victims.

How to Cite

Efua Esaaba Mantey Agyire-Tettey, Marigold Cobbina, Emma Seyram Hamenoo (2017-11-27). Academic Challenges of Students with Hearing Impairment (SHIs) in Ghana. Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development, Vol. 28 No. 3 (2017): Autumn 2017, 127-150. https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v28i3.646

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