ABSTRACT Hearing teachers are often blamed for the poor academic performance of their Deaf studen... more ABSTRACT Hearing teachers are often blamed for the poor academic performance of their Deaf students. Therefore, this study sought to explore the lived educational experiences of teachers of Deaf students at a High School in Swaziland through their own narratives. The study addressed the following question: What are the lived educational experiences of hearing teachers of the Deaf at a High School for the Deaf in Swaziland? The population for the study was eight, comprised of six high school teachers and two teachers from primary who taught the first group of Deaf students that successfully navigated their way through Senior level schooling. The study adopted a qualitative design and utilized interpretative phenomenological approach; hence data were collected through in-depth, one-on-one, face to face interviews, using the audio video recording. Data were analyzed and several themes emerged from the teachers’ narratives. Education policy documents which legalize general education and issues related to the education of learners with learning disabilities in the country, were also reviewed in order to locate the study within the education context of Swaziland. Findings of this study revealed that teachers of the Deaf face several challenges when teaching Deaf students, especially at high school level. The challenges include lack of training and proficiency in Swazi Sign Language skills when joining Schools for the Deaf and lack of signs for the taught concepts. There is a need to adapt the regular curriculum to suit the educational needs of Deaf students and more time is needed to cover the syllabus. KEY WORDS: Voice, Curriculum, Deaf students, Deaf education, Teachers of the Deaf
ABSTRACT
Hearing teachers are often blamed for the poor academic performance of their Deaf st... more ABSTRACT
Hearing teachers are often blamed for the poor academic performance of their Deaf students. Therefore, this study sought to explore the lived educational experiences of teachers of Deaf students at a High School in Swaziland through their own narratives. The study addressed the following question: What are the lived educational experiences of hearing teachers of the Deaf at a High School for the Deaf in Swaziland? The population for the study was eight, comprised of six high school teachers and two teachers from primary who taught the first group of Deaf students that successfully navigated their way through Senior level schooling. The study adopted a qualitative design and utilized interpretative phenomenological approach; hence data were collected through in-depth, one-on-one, face to face interviews, using the audio video recording. Data were analyzed and several themes emerged from the teachers’ narratives. Education policy documents which legalize general education and issues related to the education of learners with learning disabilities in the country, were also reviewed in order to locate the study within the education context of Swaziland. Findings of this study revealed that teachers of the Deaf face several challenges when teaching Deaf students, especially at high school level. The challenges include lack of training and proficiency in Swazi Sign Language skills when joining Schools for the Deaf and lack of signs for the taught concepts. There is a need to adapt the regular curriculum to suit the educational needs of Deaf students and more time is needed to cover the syllabus.
KEY WORDS: Voice, Curriculum, Deaf students, Deaf education, Teachers of the Deaf
This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narr... more This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narratives of their educational experiences in either mainstream or special schools for the Deaf. This exploration goes beyond a binary conceptualiza-tion of deaf identity that allows for only the medical and social models and proposes a bicultural ‘‘dialogue model.’ ’ This postmodern theoretical framework is used to examine the di-versity of identities of deaf learners. The inclusion of the researcher’s own fluid cross-cultural identity as a bicultural ‘‘DeaF’ ’ participant in this study provides an auto-ethno-graphic gateway into exploring the lives of other deaf, Deaf, or bicultural DeaF persons. The findings suggest that deaf identity is not a static concept but a complex ongoing quest for belonging, a quest that is bound up with the acceptance of being deaf while ‘‘finding one’s voice’ ’ in a hearing-dominant
In a special section of the american Annals of the Deaf, Deaf education and the Deaf community in... more In a special section of the american Annals of the Deaf, Deaf education and the Deaf community in South Africa are discussed. The special section is organized into 7 segments: a historical overview to establish context, the educational context, educators and learners, postgraduate education and employment, perspectives of Deaf children and their parents, sport and the arts, and spiritual lives and mental health. Throughout the entire section, however, the central focus is on the overall foundation (or lack thereof) of education for Deaf learners in South Africa.
The use of personal narratives has provided this research study on deaf identities with evocative... more The use of personal narratives has provided this research study on deaf identities with evocative data of deaf persons reflections on their significant experiences as deaf learners. This paper focuses on how the researcher’s auto-ethnographic narratives have contributed to the construction of an oral deaf identity from the researcher’s significant experiences as a oral deaf learner in a mainstream school. This study is a selected part of the candidate’s Masters dissertation: ‘a narrative exploration educational experiences on Deaf identities’ that is currently supervised by Dr Claudine Storbeck at the Wits Centre for Deaf Studies.
This paper unpacks bilingualism in South African schools for the Deaf. Then it looks at the preli... more This paper unpacks bilingualism in South African schools for the Deaf. Then it looks at the preliminary results of a single-site teacher survey. Then it discusses the current additive bilingualism approach (Dampier, 2012) and the emergent dynamic bilingualism (Gracia & Cole, 2011) for conceptualising sign bilingualism in South Africa.
Page 1. A NARRATIVE EXPLORATION OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES ON DEAF IDENTITY Guy William McIlroy I... more Page 1. A NARRATIVE EXPLORATION OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES ON DEAF IDENTITY Guy William McIlroy In fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education by dissertation, in Deaf Education, School ...
An ethnographic case study on Deaf culture was done at the Thiboloha Special School in a rural ar... more An ethnographic case study on Deaf culture was done at the Thiboloha Special School in a rural area of the Free State province in South Africa. Two Deaf learners and three Deaf teaching assistants participated in this study. Although they were all part of the hearing Sotho culture, they were also full participants in the Deaf community. The study was done by means of video recordings, interviews, and questionnaires. The study reveals the diversity of the Deaf community with a vibrant and unique culture associated with this school, which gives them a sense of belonging. The analysis of the questionnaires, interviews, and recordings in this study shows how significant it is for the Deaf to be part of a Deaf community and culture, as well as part of a hearing community. It is important for them to be Deaf (with a capital 'D') and have a Deaf identity. It became evident in this study that Deaf people prefer to use Sign Language for communication purposes in the Deaf community. The study also shows the key role the school plays in introducing Deaf learners to Deaf culture and community, and South African Sign Language, which connects them to a wider Deaf and hearing community. The school became the participants' new community where they found their Deaf identity, their own language and culture. The school fulfilled its role to realise the importance and value of Deaf culture and community and succeeded in de-pathologising deafness. This study confirms the responsibility of and opportunity for schools to educate their Deaf learners about their culture and community.
This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narr... more This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narratives of their educational experiences in either mainstream or special schools for the Deaf. This exploration goes beyond a binary conceptualization of deaf identity that allows for only the medical and social models and proposes a bicultural “dialogue model.” This postmodern theoretical framework is used to examine the diversity of identities of deaf learners. The inclusion of the researcher’s own fluid cross-cultural identity as a bicultural “DeaF” participant in this study provides an auto-ethnographic gateway into exploring the lives of other deaf, Deaf, or bicultural DeaF persons. The findings suggest that deaf identity is not a static concept but a complex ongoing quest for belonging, a quest that is bound up with the acceptance of being deaf while “finding one’s voice” in a hearing-dominant society. Through the use of dialogue and narrative tools, the study challenges educators, parents, and researchers to broaden their understanding of how deaf identity, and the dignity associated with being a deaf person is constructed.
This M Ed study explores how the stories or identity narratives we tell others of our educational... more This M Ed study explores how the stories or identity narratives we tell others of our educational experiences shapes what it means to be deaf. This ethnographic study explores the identity development of nine deaf participants through their identity narratives. The inclusion of the researcher as a deaf participant in this study provides an auto- ethnographic gateway into exploring the lives of deaf/Deaf/bi-cultural DeaF persons. The current way of defining deaf persons has become inadequate for understanding how many deaf people fit into the complex modern world of multiple identities. Consequently, I proposed an alternative theoretical framework of the post-modern 'dialogue model' (Mcilroy,2007)in which the 'fluid bicultural DeaF identity' (Mcilroy, 2008) occupies this middle space between the orthodox medical 'deaf' and social 'Deaf' models of deaf identity. The findings strongly suggest that deaf identity is no longer a static concept. It is a complex ongoing quest for belonging in a hearing dominant society through the stories we tell others about ourselves. We have much to learn from the stories of deaf persons.
I am a bicultural oral Deaf (McIlroy, 2008) person. I was born profoundly Deaf, and my parents... more I am a bicultural oral Deaf (McIlroy, 2008) person. I was born profoundly Deaf, and my parents followed the educational philosophy of that time of using hearing aids and intensive speech therapy. On the one hand I am grateful for that input, as I hear quite well and speak ...
ABSTRACT Hearing teachers are often blamed for the poor academic performance of their Deaf studen... more ABSTRACT Hearing teachers are often blamed for the poor academic performance of their Deaf students. Therefore, this study sought to explore the lived educational experiences of teachers of Deaf students at a High School in Swaziland through their own narratives. The study addressed the following question: What are the lived educational experiences of hearing teachers of the Deaf at a High School for the Deaf in Swaziland? The population for the study was eight, comprised of six high school teachers and two teachers from primary who taught the first group of Deaf students that successfully navigated their way through Senior level schooling. The study adopted a qualitative design and utilized interpretative phenomenological approach; hence data were collected through in-depth, one-on-one, face to face interviews, using the audio video recording. Data were analyzed and several themes emerged from the teachers’ narratives. Education policy documents which legalize general education and issues related to the education of learners with learning disabilities in the country, were also reviewed in order to locate the study within the education context of Swaziland. Findings of this study revealed that teachers of the Deaf face several challenges when teaching Deaf students, especially at high school level. The challenges include lack of training and proficiency in Swazi Sign Language skills when joining Schools for the Deaf and lack of signs for the taught concepts. There is a need to adapt the regular curriculum to suit the educational needs of Deaf students and more time is needed to cover the syllabus. KEY WORDS: Voice, Curriculum, Deaf students, Deaf education, Teachers of the Deaf
ABSTRACT
Hearing teachers are often blamed for the poor academic performance of their Deaf st... more ABSTRACT
Hearing teachers are often blamed for the poor academic performance of their Deaf students. Therefore, this study sought to explore the lived educational experiences of teachers of Deaf students at a High School in Swaziland through their own narratives. The study addressed the following question: What are the lived educational experiences of hearing teachers of the Deaf at a High School for the Deaf in Swaziland? The population for the study was eight, comprised of six high school teachers and two teachers from primary who taught the first group of Deaf students that successfully navigated their way through Senior level schooling. The study adopted a qualitative design and utilized interpretative phenomenological approach; hence data were collected through in-depth, one-on-one, face to face interviews, using the audio video recording. Data were analyzed and several themes emerged from the teachers’ narratives. Education policy documents which legalize general education and issues related to the education of learners with learning disabilities in the country, were also reviewed in order to locate the study within the education context of Swaziland. Findings of this study revealed that teachers of the Deaf face several challenges when teaching Deaf students, especially at high school level. The challenges include lack of training and proficiency in Swazi Sign Language skills when joining Schools for the Deaf and lack of signs for the taught concepts. There is a need to adapt the regular curriculum to suit the educational needs of Deaf students and more time is needed to cover the syllabus.
KEY WORDS: Voice, Curriculum, Deaf students, Deaf education, Teachers of the Deaf
This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narr... more This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narratives of their educational experiences in either mainstream or special schools for the Deaf. This exploration goes beyond a binary conceptualiza-tion of deaf identity that allows for only the medical and social models and proposes a bicultural ‘‘dialogue model.’ ’ This postmodern theoretical framework is used to examine the di-versity of identities of deaf learners. The inclusion of the researcher’s own fluid cross-cultural identity as a bicultural ‘‘DeaF’ ’ participant in this study provides an auto-ethno-graphic gateway into exploring the lives of other deaf, Deaf, or bicultural DeaF persons. The findings suggest that deaf identity is not a static concept but a complex ongoing quest for belonging, a quest that is bound up with the acceptance of being deaf while ‘‘finding one’s voice’ ’ in a hearing-dominant
In a special section of the american Annals of the Deaf, Deaf education and the Deaf community in... more In a special section of the american Annals of the Deaf, Deaf education and the Deaf community in South Africa are discussed. The special section is organized into 7 segments: a historical overview to establish context, the educational context, educators and learners, postgraduate education and employment, perspectives of Deaf children and their parents, sport and the arts, and spiritual lives and mental health. Throughout the entire section, however, the central focus is on the overall foundation (or lack thereof) of education for Deaf learners in South Africa.
The use of personal narratives has provided this research study on deaf identities with evocative... more The use of personal narratives has provided this research study on deaf identities with evocative data of deaf persons reflections on their significant experiences as deaf learners. This paper focuses on how the researcher’s auto-ethnographic narratives have contributed to the construction of an oral deaf identity from the researcher’s significant experiences as a oral deaf learner in a mainstream school. This study is a selected part of the candidate’s Masters dissertation: ‘a narrative exploration educational experiences on Deaf identities’ that is currently supervised by Dr Claudine Storbeck at the Wits Centre for Deaf Studies.
This paper unpacks bilingualism in South African schools for the Deaf. Then it looks at the preli... more This paper unpacks bilingualism in South African schools for the Deaf. Then it looks at the preliminary results of a single-site teacher survey. Then it discusses the current additive bilingualism approach (Dampier, 2012) and the emergent dynamic bilingualism (Gracia & Cole, 2011) for conceptualising sign bilingualism in South Africa.
Page 1. A NARRATIVE EXPLORATION OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES ON DEAF IDENTITY Guy William McIlroy I... more Page 1. A NARRATIVE EXPLORATION OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES ON DEAF IDENTITY Guy William McIlroy In fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education by dissertation, in Deaf Education, School ...
An ethnographic case study on Deaf culture was done at the Thiboloha Special School in a rural ar... more An ethnographic case study on Deaf culture was done at the Thiboloha Special School in a rural area of the Free State province in South Africa. Two Deaf learners and three Deaf teaching assistants participated in this study. Although they were all part of the hearing Sotho culture, they were also full participants in the Deaf community. The study was done by means of video recordings, interviews, and questionnaires. The study reveals the diversity of the Deaf community with a vibrant and unique culture associated with this school, which gives them a sense of belonging. The analysis of the questionnaires, interviews, and recordings in this study shows how significant it is for the Deaf to be part of a Deaf community and culture, as well as part of a hearing community. It is important for them to be Deaf (with a capital 'D') and have a Deaf identity. It became evident in this study that Deaf people prefer to use Sign Language for communication purposes in the Deaf community. The study also shows the key role the school plays in introducing Deaf learners to Deaf culture and community, and South African Sign Language, which connects them to a wider Deaf and hearing community. The school became the participants' new community where they found their Deaf identity, their own language and culture. The school fulfilled its role to realise the importance and value of Deaf culture and community and succeeded in de-pathologising deafness. This study confirms the responsibility of and opportunity for schools to educate their Deaf learners about their culture and community.
This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narr... more This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narratives of their educational experiences in either mainstream or special schools for the Deaf. This exploration goes beyond a binary conceptualization of deaf identity that allows for only the medical and social models and proposes a bicultural “dialogue model.” This postmodern theoretical framework is used to examine the diversity of identities of deaf learners. The inclusion of the researcher’s own fluid cross-cultural identity as a bicultural “DeaF” participant in this study provides an auto-ethnographic gateway into exploring the lives of other deaf, Deaf, or bicultural DeaF persons. The findings suggest that deaf identity is not a static concept but a complex ongoing quest for belonging, a quest that is bound up with the acceptance of being deaf while “finding one’s voice” in a hearing-dominant society. Through the use of dialogue and narrative tools, the study challenges educators, parents, and researchers to broaden their understanding of how deaf identity, and the dignity associated with being a deaf person is constructed.
This M Ed study explores how the stories or identity narratives we tell others of our educational... more This M Ed study explores how the stories or identity narratives we tell others of our educational experiences shapes what it means to be deaf. This ethnographic study explores the identity development of nine deaf participants through their identity narratives. The inclusion of the researcher as a deaf participant in this study provides an auto- ethnographic gateway into exploring the lives of deaf/Deaf/bi-cultural DeaF persons. The current way of defining deaf persons has become inadequate for understanding how many deaf people fit into the complex modern world of multiple identities. Consequently, I proposed an alternative theoretical framework of the post-modern 'dialogue model' (Mcilroy,2007)in which the 'fluid bicultural DeaF identity' (Mcilroy, 2008) occupies this middle space between the orthodox medical 'deaf' and social 'Deaf' models of deaf identity. The findings strongly suggest that deaf identity is no longer a static concept. It is a complex ongoing quest for belonging in a hearing dominant society through the stories we tell others about ourselves. We have much to learn from the stories of deaf persons.
I am a bicultural oral Deaf (McIlroy, 2008) person. I was born profoundly Deaf, and my parents... more I am a bicultural oral Deaf (McIlroy, 2008) person. I was born profoundly Deaf, and my parents followed the educational philosophy of that time of using hearing aids and intensive speech therapy. On the one hand I am grateful for that input, as I hear quite well and speak ...
Uploads
Papers by Dr Guy W Mcilroy
Hearing teachers are often blamed for the poor academic performance of their Deaf students. Therefore, this study sought to explore the lived educational experiences of teachers of Deaf students at a High School in Swaziland through their own narratives. The study addressed the following question: What are the lived educational experiences of hearing teachers of the Deaf at a High School for the Deaf in Swaziland? The population for the study was eight, comprised of six high school teachers and two teachers from primary who taught the first group of Deaf students that successfully navigated their way through Senior level schooling. The study adopted a qualitative design and utilized interpretative phenomenological approach; hence data were collected through in-depth, one-on-one, face to face interviews, using the audio video recording. Data were analyzed and several themes emerged from the teachers’ narratives. Education policy documents which legalize general education and issues related to the education of learners with learning disabilities in the country, were also reviewed in order to locate the study within the education context of Swaziland. Findings of this study revealed that teachers of the Deaf face several challenges when teaching Deaf students, especially at high school level. The challenges include lack of training and proficiency in Swazi Sign Language skills when joining Schools for the Deaf and lack of signs for the taught concepts. There is a need to adapt the regular curriculum to suit the educational needs of Deaf students and more time is needed to cover the syllabus.
KEY WORDS: Voice, Curriculum, Deaf students, Deaf education, Teachers of the Deaf
Hearing teachers are often blamed for the poor academic performance of their Deaf students. Therefore, this study sought to explore the lived educational experiences of teachers of Deaf students at a High School in Swaziland through their own narratives. The study addressed the following question: What are the lived educational experiences of hearing teachers of the Deaf at a High School for the Deaf in Swaziland? The population for the study was eight, comprised of six high school teachers and two teachers from primary who taught the first group of Deaf students that successfully navigated their way through Senior level schooling. The study adopted a qualitative design and utilized interpretative phenomenological approach; hence data were collected through in-depth, one-on-one, face to face interviews, using the audio video recording. Data were analyzed and several themes emerged from the teachers’ narratives. Education policy documents which legalize general education and issues related to the education of learners with learning disabilities in the country, were also reviewed in order to locate the study within the education context of Swaziland. Findings of this study revealed that teachers of the Deaf face several challenges when teaching Deaf students, especially at high school level. The challenges include lack of training and proficiency in Swazi Sign Language skills when joining Schools for the Deaf and lack of signs for the taught concepts. There is a need to adapt the regular curriculum to suit the educational needs of Deaf students and more time is needed to cover the syllabus.
KEY WORDS: Voice, Curriculum, Deaf students, Deaf education, Teachers of the Deaf