Coteaching Deaf and Hearing Students: Research on Social Integration

Abstract

C oteaching , also known as team teaching , offers an alternative to the dilemma of choosing between the residential school, which offers a deaf community but sometimes a poor record of achievement, and inclusion, which promises better achievement but results in increased social isolation. Under a coteaching arrangement, deaf or hard of hearing students can share a deaf peer group while being exposed to the social contact and academic requirements of a mainstream class. The study sample consists of the deaf or hard of hearing students at one elementary school on the West Coast with extensive experience with coteaching, plus a random selection of their hearing peers. Students were administered the Piers Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (Franklin, 1981), My Class Inventory (Fisher & Barry, 1985), and the Childhood Loneliness Scale (Asher, Hymel, & Renshaw, 1984). Consistent results indicated that while age differences appeared, there were no negative social consequences of coteaching for deaf students. The study indicates that on the basis of social benefits, coteaching warrants further systematic research.

Inclusion of students who are deaf or hard of hearing: secondary school hearing students' perspectives

“…This is similar to the findings regarding attitude improvement of nondisabled students toward students with disabilities (e.g. Stager and Young, 1981), and those regarding positive attitudes or acceptance of D/HH students by their hearing peers in inclusion programmes (Kluwin, 1999;Kluwin et al, 2002;Luckner, 1999;Power and Hyde, 2002;Powers, 1996). The findings in this study suggest that setting may have contributed to the hearing subjects' positive attitudes.…”

“…8(2): 62-74 (2006) Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI: 10.1002/dei.190 A review of the literature indicates that most, but not all, studies support the positive aspects of inclusion mentioned above. That is, studies have reported satisfactory outcomes for academic progress and social development of D/HH students, including positive attitudes toward and acceptance of D/HH students by their hearing peers (Kluwin, 1999;Kluwin and Stinson, 1993;Kluwin et al, 2002;Luckner, 1999;Power and Hyde, 2002;Powers, 1996). On the other hand, a few studies have reported that D/HH students have encountered negative attitudes held by their hearing peers, have experienced isolation, or loneliness, or have failed to establish close relationships with their hearing peers (e.g.…”

Achieving Developmental Synchrony in Young Children With Hearing Loss

“…A study of a team-taught kindergarten classroom that fully included children with hearing loss found no difference on measures of popularity (Kluwin & Gonsher, 1994) between the children based on hearing status. Kluwin (1999) reported no difference in loneliness between deaf and hearing students in an integrated classroom. Social relationships appear to develop more effectively with more plentiful opportunities to interact with both deaf and hearing peers, and with teacher facilitation and support for interaction (Mertens, 1989;.…”

Knowledge and Skills for Teachers of Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

“…In particular, they need to be able to collaborate with a variety of support professionals including speech-language pathologists, audiologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and general education teachers (Kluwin, 1999;.…”