WELCOME TO KENTERPRO:
EFFECT OF HEARING LOSS ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PUPILS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN OTANA INTEGRATED SCHOOL, JOS-NORTH

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Hearing provides a basis for almost all kinds of learning an individual is subjected to. From the time a child is born, he/she is at least after some weeks expected to respond to sound stimuli. This becomes possible if one’s auditory systems are perfectly developed. Right at a tender age, children with good auditory perception are able to respond to voices of parents as well as identify them using auditory discrimination. The ability to learn effectively is supported to the fullest by the integration of all the five senses a human being has of which hearing is no exception. In fact, it is significant to note that the early discrimination and response to sound stimuli recorded by the child marks very important characteristics of early development of the auditory system that makes parents cheerful.

When the child expresses inability to discriminate sound sensations and is unable to respond to sound cues, it denotes a hearing impairment (Moores, 2007). In this case, majority of the Nigerian society believes that the inability of the child to hear would exert a number of challenges on his or her hearing loss. Terms like: hard of hearing, deaf or hearing-impaired are used to describe a child with a hearing loss (Moores, 2006). The terms may refer to hearing impairment, hard of hearing and deafness. Even when these children are sent to schools, society sees more challenges that they are likely to face than achievements. In fact, most parents sacrifice sending learners with hearing loss  to residential schools as a relief so that they are out of their sight. The attitude that society has makes such children grow up with minimal exposure that further makes them exhibit peculiar developmental patterns like inattention, failure to completer given tasks and other memory related issues. However, it can be roughly estimated that members of the community subject majority of children with hearing loss to underperformance in terms of academic achievements.

Hearing loss therefore range from mild to profound depending on the cause, seriousness and on-set (Kirk, et al, 1996). Indeed, most academic achievements, which involve reasoning skills related to concepts, abstractions and mental representations, are directly dependent on hearing. Sound to object association that is among basic cognitive processes are absent in the children with hearing loss which limit their modes of learning. The elements of communication that the children with hearing impairment use do not on their own meet the demands of holistic learning. The use of sight alone to learn poses a number of constraints to the academic progression of children with hearing impairment.

It is also further observed that hearing lo can lead to social isolation for several reasons. First, the child experiences delay in social development that is in large part tied to delayed language acquisition. There is also a direct link to their inability to pick up auditory social cues. This can result in a deaf person becoming generally irritable. A child who uses sign language, or identifies with the Deaf sub-culture does not generally experience this isolation, particularly if he or she attends a school for the deaf, but may conversely experience isolation from his parents if they do now know sign language. This also becomes so common in the community because most people are not familiar with sign language. It is also imperative to note that even the communities around deaf schools have no communicative kills that can enhance the learning of pupil with hearing impairment. It is in fact also observed that the child who has a hearing impairment but uses some oral language may be rejected by deaf persons. In an understandable hesitation in abandoning the use of existent verbal and speech-reading kills, some pupils with hearing impairment in the deaf community can view this as a rejection of their own culture and it more, and therefore will reject the individual preemptively (Kirk et al, 1997). The latter affect the children’s performance a learning involves to a great extent adequate socialization and integration of other senses.

It can further be argued that mot children with hearing loss tend to take linger than they are supposed to in order to clear examination grades, like grades seven and nine for example. Most of the children repeat as many times as possible to pass and progress to another level, a delay alluding to the impact of hearing loss ont heir academic performance (Heward and Orlansky, 1998). In Nigeria, tudies releated to this have been conducted by other people though there have been no publications. Considering the above, this study sought to find out in detail the effects of hearing loss on the academic performance of pupils with special needs in Otana Integrated, Jos-North.

• Statement of the Problem

Hearing loss exerts a number of implication on the learning of pupils with hearing impairment. Their inability to hear or the hearing of little sound and speech initiates’ adverse academic implication that leads to their underperformance. Lack of adequate role of models and resource persons brings about a delay in abstract reasoning necessary for effective academic performances. From the preliminary investigations, it was evident that there was no research information that sought to bring out the underscored experiences among learner with hearing impairments. The identified information gap justified the need for this study.

• Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of hearing loss on the academic performance of pupils with special needs in Otana Integrated School, Jos-North. The study is guided by the following main objective.

1. To determine how hearing loss affect the academic performance of pupils with special needs in Otana Integrated School, Jos-North
2. To examine the challenges that pupils with special needs in Otana Integrated School, Jos-north encounter at the cost of their studies in schools
3. To identify the strategies that can be utilized to assist the academic performance of pupils with special needs in Otana Integrated School, Jos-North
   • Research Questions
4. To what extent has hearing loss affected the academic performance of pupils with special needs in Otana Integrated School, Jos-North?
5. To what extent has pupils with special needs in Otana Integrated School, Jos-North?
6. To what extent has teaching strategies been utilized to improve the academic performance of pupils with special needs in Otana Integrated School, Jos-North?
   • Research Hypothesis

Ho: There is no significant relationship between hearing loss and the academic performance of pupils with special needs

Ha: There is a significant relationship between hearing loss and the academic performance of pupils with special needs

• Significance of the Study

It is hoped that the findings of this study will reveal all sorts of implications that hearing loss impose on the learning of pupils with hearing impairment, create stimulation to education providers to solicit for proper and refined techniques, methods and teaching strategies to help alleviate the academic challenges hearing impaired pupils encounter.

It is further expected that the findings of this study will make those setting National examination adjust the content in the papers to match the learning needs for the hearing impaired pupils.

It is also hoped that the findings of this study will enable stakeholders provide resources to train people in sign language especially those found in communities closer to deaf schools to help facilitate and promote the education of the hearing impaired pupils.

• Operational definition of key terms

Academic performance: This is the level at which a pupil with hearing impairment has managed to reach his educational goals either the primary level, secondary level or the tertiary level.

Disability: Is any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for human being.

Handicap: Is the lack of power or the capacity of an individual to work or function. This does not permit the individual to learn as required of him or her, leading to disability.

Auditory perception: Is the ability to detect sound through hearing

Bilateral hearing loss: loss of hearing on both ears.

Deaf: Sensory deficiency that prevents a person from receiving the sound stimulus in all forms.

Hearing Impairment: an impediment to effectively use the use of sense of hearing as a result of damage on the ear or part of it.

Hearing loss: any loss of sound sensitivity; partial or total because of some defection in the auditory system

Minimal sensori-neural hearing loss: Loss of hearing due to damage on the auditory nerves which invariably prevents an individual to perceive sounds.

Post-lingual hearing loss: This is the loss of hearing that occurs before an individual has acquired a basic of oral language.

Unilateral hearing loss: loss of hearing on one ear either right or left.

Integrated: This is the mixture of pupils with disability and those without disability in a regular school

Communication: This is the passing out of information, ideas, facts or knowledge to pupils with hearing impairment.

Impairment: This is the damage or loss of tissue of the organ of the body especially that of the sense of hearing.

Sign language: This is the language of the deaf that employs the use of modal signs and symbols for communication

Discrimination: This is the denial of the rights and privileges of pupils with hearing impairment in the society.