Sign bilingual education practice as a strategy for inclusion of deaf children in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Literature indicates that inclusion of deaf children in mainstream schools is a complex process and that it has eluded many deaf practitioners and education systems for a very long time. New research is, however, pointing to the potential for sign bilingual education as a viable strategy for improving inclusivity of deaf children in mainstream settings. The purpose of the current study was, therefore, to interrogate how sign bilingual education was used as a strategy for inclusion of deaf children in Zimbabwe. The study was premised on Cummins Linguistic Interdependence theory and adopted the mixed methods paradigm which is informed by the philosophy of pragmatism. The sequential explanatory design was utilized and participants were selected using random sampling for the quantitative phase and purposive sampling for the qualitative phase. Questionnaires, face-to-face and focus group interviews (FGIs) were used to elicit data from participants. These data were presented on SPSS generated graphs and analysed using frequency counts, percentages and inferential statistics based on the analysis of Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient at 5% level of significance (p=0.005). Consequently, qualitative data were presented as summaries and direct quotes and analysed using thematic and content analyses. The results revealed that the conception, hence the practice of sign bilingual was limited and had challenges, but that it had the greatest potential benefits for inclusion of deaf children in mainstream schools in Zimbabwe. On these bases, the study recommended training of teachers and parents as well as staff development of the teachers and school administrators. The study also recommended adoption of best practices such as early exposure, co-teaching, co-enrolment, multi-stakeholder participation, turning special schools into resource centers for sign bilingual education and inclusion and embracing ICT. A further recommendation pointed to review of policy in line with best practices. Ultimately, the study proposed a framework for sign bilingual education as a strategy for inclusion of deaf children in mainstream schools in Zimbabwe.