The Consequence Deafness has on the Psychological and Academic Development of deaf students. The case of Alpha special school for the deaf in Addis Ababa, Hermata and Mendera Junior School at Jimma Town

Abstract

This study attempts to investigate the consequence deafness has on the social
psychological and academic development of deaf students with particular reference to
Alpha Special School for the Deaf in Addis Ababa ,Hermata and Mendera junior grade
levels at Jimma town.. An earnest attempt was also made to look in to the self concept
differences between the prilingually and postlingually deaf students using a t –test at a
0.05 level of significance .Qualitative and quantitative study designs were used to
investigate and explore the psychosocial and academic problems faced by the deaf
students with their social interactions with their family members, hearing peers, and
teachers and hearing people in their respective communities and its implication on the
academic profile. The empirical data was based mainly on questionnaires, interviews and
focus group discussions. Using purposive sampling technique, 107 respondents out of
which 65 were deaf students, 18 parents and the rest 24 were teachers. Questionnaires
were administered for the students, interviews and focus group discussion for parents and
teachers to fetch adequate information for the study. Some case records of the sampled
deaf students and classroom observation were also used as a supplement and complement
to the other methods. The finding of the study shows that deaf students have encountered
social and psychological problems at different social contexts which in turn bring about
major academic problems. Among the major social problems deaf students in this study
faced are peoples' negative attitude towards them, societies' unawareness of the potentials
of the deaf students, little or no participation in social gatherings and mistreatment by the
hearing people. Deaf students of this study also faced such psychological problems as
feeling of inadequacy, inferiority, shame, and rejection. Language problems, problem of
mathematics and problems related to abstract thinking were also identified to be notable
academic problems of the deaf in this study..

Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences Vol. 1 (2) 2006: pp. 61-88