Abstract:
Education provision to deaf students in inclusive classroom setting is being practiced in Ethiopia
as a policy direction to ensure education access right for all segments of the people. However,
the deaf students are not enjoying their educational right in inclusive class like that of their
hearing counterparts. Hence, this study assessed the challenges of deaf students in inclusive
classes and the students' perception of their inclusion in regular classes of Ligaba Primary
School. It also compared the academic achievement of hearing and deaf students and examined
the status of special support services for deaf students in the school. Sixteen (16) deaf students,
thirty two (32) regular class teachers who are teaching in integrated class and 33 hearing students
participated in this study. Eight (8) parents and 3 school principals were also included in the
study. Questionnaire for deaf students and teachers; interview with school principals, focus
group discussion with parents of deaf students, hearing students and deaf students; and outside
and inside classroom observation were used to generate data. The Focus group discussion with
deaf students was held using sign language translator. The result indicated that deaf students are
facing academic challenges of communication using sign language, difficulty of understanding
instructions of teachers, missing notes that teachers provide for hearing students, mistreatment
from hearing peers, negative attitude from teachers towards their potential, absence of resource
material center in the school and etc. The three semesters' average academic achievement of deaf
students is found to be significantly less than that of hearing counterparts (p= 0.001). Deaf
students, teachers and school principals reported that insufficient support services were provided
to deaf students to benefit deaf students from inclusion. Majority of deaf students and teachers
disfavor integration of deaf students in regular class. The study findings suggest that, to enhance
the academic performance and achievement of deaf students and to benefit them from their
inclusion, the students should get special attention and support by all concerned bodies.
Furthermore, in order to address the challenges they face in various academic areas such as
communication, curriculum, special support provision, etc. specific modifications have to be
made to the curricula and other instructional methods have to be strengthened.
