Development of Signs for Scientific Terms in Schools for the Hearing-Impaired
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Date
2005
Authors
wanjau, Agnes Wanja
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
This study was designed to specifically develop signs for scientific terms
commonly used in the teaching and learning of science in primary and secondary
schools for the hearing-impaired in Kenya. The greatest problems faced by the deaf
individuals continue to be related to matters of communication with the
predominant society. Hearing impairment interferes with both reception and
production of language. Because language influences practically every dimension
of development, inability to hear and speak is a critical deficit that may have an
unfavorable social and academic adjustment. In order to alleviate the
communication handicap amongst the deaf learners, the Kenya Institute of
Education (K.I.E) has so far developed a sign language textbook with a vocabulary
covering various fields of knowledge. However, signs to represent scientific terms
important to the subject matter in primary and secondary schools have not been
included in this book. Consequently, communicative interchange between teachers
and the learners has been difficult during science lessons. The purpose of this
study, therefore, was to develop signs to represent scientific terms that will make
communication during science lessons easy, fluent and accurate.
The design that was used is descriptive survey to find out the scientific terms,
important to the subject matter, for which signs would be developed. The
population of study was drawn from two schools for the hearing-impaired in Nyeri
District. A purposive sample was selected from the two schools for the hearingimpaired
in the district. Study subjects were randomly selected from forms two,
three, and four and standards six, seven and eight. A' total of thirty-three
participants were involved in the study. Twenty-eight out of the 33 participants
were pupils and five science teachers. A checklist of scientific terms and a
videotape were used to collect data. Two hundred terms were nominated from the
chosen terms and signs developed for each of them. The collected data was later
analyzed linguistically. Each new sign was judged as appropriate on the basis of
clarity, appearance and cultural acceptability, and then presented in simple
descriptions and illustrations by a fine artist.
Description
A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Education,(Educational Psychology), Kenyatta University August 2005
Keywords
Development of Signs, Scientific Terms, Schools, Hearing-Impaired