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Running head: EFFECT OF EDUCATIONAL PLACEMENT
The Effect of Educational Placement on the Social Experiences
of a Deaf High School Student in an Inclusion Program
Clara M. Deal-Whitt
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
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Abstract
This study examined why a deaf student described his high school experiences as positive or negative, by specifying the classroom dynamics that effected social development. A case study was conducted with a student who attends high school in a public school system, in which he was asked to complete an open-ended questionnaire. The findings indicate that, while he experienced a positive academic environment, he was frustrated by the communication barrier he experienced with his hearing peers. The implications provide strategies for the improved social development of deaf high school students.
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The Effect of Educational Placement on the Social Experiences
of a Deaf High School Student in an Inclusion Program
In fewer than two decades, the placement of deaf students into inclusion programs, has become commonplace within the American public school system. As an increasing number of students are placed in inclusion programs, questions have arisen regarding their educational experience. Opinions concerning the best placement of deaf students often conflict. One issue that remains unresolved is that of social integration (Saur, Layne, Hurley, & Opton, 1986).
One of the major justifications for the inclusion of deaf students in general education classrooms, has been the expected benefit of a deaf student’s learning how to interact with normally hearing peers. This social interaction provides the students with a context in which to develop social skills necessary for functioning in the hearing world (Mertens, 1989). Advocates of inclusion placements believe that placing deaf students in classrooms with hearing peers will enhance their social integration (Stinson & Lang, 1994). In line with Stinson and Lang (1994), Kauffman (1993) also argues that inclusion placements break down the stigma and isolation that are associated with the attendance of a residential school. Participating in classes with hearing peers provides regular contact with the societal norm and this contact is assumed to be the primary step in the development of friendship and social acceptance (Gregory & Bishop, 1988).
In contrast to the previously cited research of residential/inclusion comparisons, Saur et al (1986) stated, “These benefits are the reality of social rejection, antipathy, and
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the overt cruelty of the young toward someone who is, or is perceived, as different” (p. 325). Stinson and Lang (1994) reported corresponding results when deaf students placed in inclusion settings described their social experiences as lonely, rejected, and socially isolated. Foster (1989) cited similar findings in his retrospective study at the National Institute of the Deaf. Mertens asserts that students who attended residential schools reported more positive social experiences than those placed in inclusion settings. In addition, Farrugia and Austin (1980) reported that deaf students in residential schools had higher levels of self-esteem, greater maturity, and more positive social and emotional adjustments compared to those students in inclusion programs.
Reich, Hambleton, and Houldin (1977), found that the support services offered within an inclusion setting have an impact on the self-concept and social adjustment of high school students. Students in inclusion classes with the support of itinerant teachers for the deaf, who tutored the deaf students and consulted with the regular classroom teachers, exhibited the strongest self-concepts (all authors).
Research has not adequately validated either placement. Small sample sizes, types of placements, actual experiences of the placement, and differences within placements have resulted in conflicting results regarding the social efficacy of inclusion placements.
In summary, current research has indicated that students from inclusion settings reported fewer favorable social experiences than do students from residential programs. In addition, students from inclusion programs who received support services were inclined to state they had more positive experiences than students who did not.
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The research has left several unanswered questions, which are the current focus of this study:
- What are the factors that contribute to positive high school experiences?
- What are the factors that contribute to negative high school experiences?
- What is the influence of academic placement (residential or inclusion) coupled with the presence (or absence) of support services on the experience of the student?
The purpose of this study is to explore the reasons why deaf adolescents described their high school experiences as either positive or negative by specifying the classroom dynamics that contributed to, or detracted from, social development.
For the purpose of the study, Stinson and Lang (1994) define inclusion as the placement of deaf students into a regular, hearing population in the classroom for all educational activities.
This project is a practical action research project as I foresee using this information in my practice as an educator of the deaf and hard of hearing. It is a phenomenological case study of a deaf student’s experience in a high school inclusion program. This research will increase my understanding of the social perceptions that deaf adolescents may have, during their placement in an inclusion program. This knowledge base will allow me to become more aware of their needs, and be better able to support their individual needs.
The instrument is a revision of the questionnaire utilized in the Mertens’ study (1989). The survey was copied verbatim, except for a change in verb tense to reflect the
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present, as the subject is currently attending high school. The questionnaire consists of thirty-three questions, including demographic information as well as open-ended questions about their educational and social experiences in high school. The survey also includes six statement based on a four-point Likert scale (often, sometimes, seldom, never).
I am twenty-four years old, Caucasian, female, and currently enrolled in the Masters program at the University of Tennessee.
These biases may have influenced my data. For instance, in my previous internship experience, I noticed that the hearing impaired students (while primarily oral), were socially isolated from their hearing peers. The communication barrier was not as much of an issue, as with the manual students; however, these students remained in their groups with the other deaf students, and rarely strayed outside of the group. Also, I feel that many times, students are placed into inclusion programs with little regard to their social development.
I attempted to control these biases by participating in peer debriefing sessions. To assure confidentiality, the research team members signed a Pledge of Confidentiality (see Appendix C). Additionally, I spent several hours reflecting on the data and categorizing emergent themes into concrete classifications.
Methods
Participants. I met the participant at a workshop on teaching the deaf, in which he was a guest speaker. Prior to beginning the experiment, the participant was asked to sign a Letter of Consent (see Appendix A). John is an eighteen-year old, male,
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Caucasian, profoundly (over 90 dB loss) deaf, high school student attending an inclusion program in a public school system in the southeast region of the United States. He grew up in a middle-income home, in which English was the primary mode of communication (both parents are hearing).
The participant completed a questionnaire (see Appendix B), with directions provided in written English.
The participant’s responses were evaluated to determine how he viewed his educational experience in an inclusion high school setting by categorizing his responses as Positive or negative. This categorization will be based on an analysis of his responses to the open-ended questions in the questionnaire. For example, if the participant reported feelings of isolation and rejection, his responses would be categorized as “Negative.” However, if John reported acceptance from his peers and teachers, then his responses would be characterized as “Positive.” The quantifying statements (e.g., I understand what is happening in class) will be graphically represented on a five-point Likert rating scale of specific quantifiers: “never,” “seldom,” “sometimes,” and “often (see Appendix D).” The support services he received in this placement and how frequently they were offered within the setting will also be discussed to determine whether the presence or absence of service impacts his experiences in public education.
Procedure. The participant was asked to complete the revised Mertens (1989) questionnaire in which she examined “the reasons that hearing-impaired students described their high school experiences as positive or negative and to identify the specific classroom dynamics that contribute to or detract from social development (Mertens,
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1989, p. 16). The participant completed the 33-item questionnaire, which included demographic information, in addition to open-ended questions about John’s social and educational experiences in a public high school setting.
Results
John reported utilizing a different interpreter for every class. However, when an interpreter was absent, and a substitute was unavailable, he used a note taker (“My friends take notes for me.”).
The participant was classified as having a positive social experience in high school, based on his responses to the following question: “Tell me about how you feel in high school.” John’s response to this question was unmistakable and straightforward. He stated, “I feel comfortable in high school.”
The factors that influenced his positive experiences were:
- Opportunity to have friends
John reported having many “moderately close” friends and ample opportunity to socialize with his friends. He wrote, “My friends help me through school by helping me study, be on my side. It does not matter wheather [whether] deaf or hearing.” The participant expressed immense frustration with the communication barrier and his hearing peers. Most of the time, he used oral communication. Then, he state, “If we don’t understand each other, we write down on paper back and forth. We also use body gesture [gestures], but not very often.” Also, his hearing friends had to make some adjustments in the way they communicated with him. For instance, he explained to his peers, “they have to talk slow. Two
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or more people cannot talk to me at the same time. They have to take turn.” However, after the initial adjustment, the communication problems and his frustration decreased. John also stated there were other deaf students in his school and individual classes, and he regularly socialized with his deaf peers, as well.
- Encouraging academic environment
John described positive interactions with his teachers. He stated, “I get along with my teachers pretty well. We can communicate to each other. When we don’t understand each other, I use interpreters to help us communicate.” He claimed that his teacher made adjustments in their lecturing format by explaining the material, and subsequently outlining the information on the board. Therefore, giving John the opportunity to give full attention to the subject matter.
- Teacher expectations
John expressed that his teachers’ expectations were as high, if not higher for him (than his hearing peers). He simply stated, “My teachers’ expectation is for me to go to college.” Generally, he felt he could easily communicate with his teachers, but only when an interpreter was present to mediate discussion.
- Participation in extracurricular activities
John reported being a member of an auto mechanics club. He is the only hearing-impaired person in this club, and chooses not use an interpreter for the meetings. He also mentioned attending the pep rallies “usually.”
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- Parental support
His parents made the decision for him to attend an inclusion program. John repeatedly mentioned his parents’ involvement in his schoolwork. His parents consistently assist him with his homework and studying for exams. Also, “my parents were very involved in my education. They check on me if I am in the right classes. They also make sure I’m making good grades.”
Some limitations must be noted for this study. There was no prolonged engagement; therefore, these findings are preliminary. Deafness is a low incidence condition, so the size of this study severely limits the generalizability of the results. In addition, the survey measures his perception of his current experience, and not his capacity to socially adjust to the “outside world.”
However, the detailed comments derived from John’s responses can be utilized to achieve insight into the rationale behind his perceptions. The results indicate how he feels about his social experience in high school. This study does reveal some problems that exist for students, although it does not focus on how prevalent and generalizable the emotional issues of inclusion can be.
The findings of this survey, while optimistic, do not settle the controversy with regard to the most suitable placement for deaf students.
The positive experiences expressed by the participant are encouraging. However, the fact that he also expressed his experience as simultaneously “frustrating” cannot be ignored. Adolescence can be a demanding transitional period for most, but the fact that
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deaf students have a unique communication variable can add a dynamic aspect to the pre-existing confusion and attempt in establishing a self-identity.
The responsibility for providing adequate support for the student and fostering positive experience lies with the school system. The school can provide structured activities (e.g., establishing an American Sign Language club, or providing peer mentors) in order to limit the rejection and isolation that some students experience.
Previous research has cited numerous factors that contribute to positive feelings about high school and promote social development. Reich et al (1977) established that students with support services experienced greater social adjustment and higher self-concept. Also, students in inclusion programs who received support from itinerant teachers in tutoring and consultation with regular education classroom teachers exhibited the most resilient self-concepts (all authors). In addition, the results of this study supported previous findings showing that students with interpreters described more positive social experiences in inclusion, especially in their ability to cope with their regular education teacher. The Mertens (1989) study cites, “participation in extracurricular activities; having the interpreter explain topics prior to class; use of voice and lip-reading; encouragement of interaction and deaf awareness by the teacher; high expectations; signing and fingerspelling by peers; and parental support” (p. 18) as additional action-oriented factors that can encourage improved social development for hearing impaired students. Further research is necessary to support the relationship between inclusion and positive social development.
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While, John has demonstrated a positive high school experience in an inclusion placement, it is imperative that our students not become political footballs for integration versus residential educational placements. As educators, we need to nurture a common ground between the hearing world and the deaf community. In an inclusion placement, the hearing world is easily provided to the deaf student. Oftentimes, the provision of this world can be overwhelming. The solution should be to offer a common ground, as oppose to softening the exposure and trying to shelter to student. Consequently, the school system should offer opportunities for the student to interact with the deaf community in the area, specifically where residential programs are available.
Those who expect uncomplicated transitions into the regular education classroom are “at least self-deluded and at worst a menace to those children.” (Kluwin, Moores, & Gaustad, 1992, p.252) However, to say that something is difficult is not synonymous with being undesirable or impossible. We are making progress in the field of inclusion; the fact that a Deaf man is president of Gallaudet University is an indication of advancement.
By replacing our dogmatism of the past with a concern for our deaf students and their commonality with their hearing peers, we can provide a system in which deaf students are educated in a compassionate approach. Thereby, fostering a system of cohesion between the cultures.
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References
Farrugia, D., & Austin, G.F. (1980). A study of the social-emotional adjustment patterns of hearing-impaired students in different educational settings. American Annals of the Deaf, 25 (5), 535-541.
Foster, S. (1989). Reflections of a group of deaf students on their experiences in mainstream and residential school programs in the United States. Disability, Handicap, and Society, 4, 37-56.
Gregory, S., & Bishop, J. (1988). The integration of deaf children into ordinary schools: a research report. Journal of the Association of the Teachers of the Deaf, 13,
1-6.
Kauffman, J. (1993). How we might achieve the radical reform of special education. Exceptional Children, 60, 6-16.
Kluwin, T., Moores, D., & Gausted, M. (Eds.). (1992). Toward effective public school programs for deaf students. New York: Teacher College Press.
Mertens, D. (1989). Social experiences of hearing-impaired high school youth. American Annals of the Deaf, 134, 15-19.
Reich, C., Hambleton, D., & Houldin, B.K. (1977). The integration of hearing-impaired children in regular classrooms. American Annals of the Deaf, 122, 534-543.
Saur, R.E., Layne, C.A., Hurley, E.A., & Opton, K. (1986). Dimensions of mainstreaming. American Annals of the Deaf, 131, 325-329.
Stinson, M. & Lang, H. (1994). Full inclusion: a path for integration or isolation. American Annals of the Deaf, 139, 156-159.
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Appendix A
February 16, 2001
Statement of Informed Consent
Dear Research Participant:
I am Clara Monique Deal-Whitt and I would like to invite you to participate in a case study on the social experiences of a deaf adolescent in an inclusion program in the public school system.