Engagement of Children who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Attending Mainstream Schools

Abstract

This study compared the observed and the self-reported engagement of 16 students who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) attending mainstream schools to that of matched controls with typical hearing. Observed engagement was measured through observations in the classroom setting using the Mainstream Version of the Code for Instructional Structure and Student Academic Reponses. Self-reported engagement was measured using the Classroom Participation Questionnaire. The results revealed no significant differences for either observed or self-reported engagement between the DHH and the control groups; however, three individual DHH participants had lower levels of observed engagement compared to their matched controls. As such, including engagement in the evaluation of students who are DHH may be important for some individuals to provide a better understanding of the daily challenges they experience at school. Where needs are identified, the support that students who are DHH receive should include a specific focus on engagement to assist with their successful inclusion.

Classroom acoustic conditions and primary school children’s behaviour: A scoping review

“…A range of different behaviours were investigated across the 14 papers. These included learning behaviours (achievement motivation, 31 engagement, 35,40,41 production, 33 accuracy, 23 concentration, 25,34,22 inattention, 26 off-task behaviour, 23,39 ), externalising behaviours (disruptive behaviour, 35 aggression, 29,33 social interaction 22,31 ) and internalising behaviours (repetitive behaviours, 29 fidgeting, 24 agitation, 33 covering ears, 29,30 physical tension 33 and vocalisations 29 ).…”

“…The most common form of assessing children's behaviour was via questionnaires/surveys filled out by the child, teacher, and/or parent, used in nine studies, 22,25,26,30,31,35,39,40 followed by observations by the researcher which were conducted in eight of the studies. 23,24,29,33,34,35,39,40 Other methods of data collection included a diary filled out by the parent 39 and interviews with the teacher 34 or child. 41 Outcomes Typically developing children.…”

“…Children who were deaf or hard of hearing. Todorov et al 40 compared the engagement of deaf or hard of hearing children with their typically hearing peers. The aim of this study was not to directly assess the effect of noise on children's engagement, but part of the study categorised the noise level in the classroom, and it was found that the child who was from a classroom with the noise level rated as poor had significantly lower levels of engagement compared to their typically hearing matched pair.…”

“…The most common type of acoustic exposure explored in the reviewed papers was classroom noise, examined in seven studies. 25,29,30,33,35,40,41 One study examined the effect of corridor noise from other children. 34 Three studies examined the effect of external noise, two of which investigated traffic noise 22,26 and one investigated aircraft.…”

Wireless microphones for students who are deaf and hard of hearing: Czech teachers' perspective

“…Finally, our results suggest students' greater engagement in classroom work with a WRM than without one. A recent study by Todorov et al (2021) on the engagement of students who are DHH and attending mainstream schools did not find a significant difference between students who are DHH and their peers in the level of engagement but also discussed that the engagement to school activities may be linked with the support of students' special needs, level of understanding, sense of belonging and convenience in asking questions. As a result of promoting such factors as understanding, communication with the teacher and classmates, attention and school performance, the use of WRM probably also positively influences the engagement in classroom work.…”