Suchergebnisse

Especially in the education of students who are deaf or hard
of hearing, teachers' practical knowledge storage is almost never
measured. The Survey of Practical Knowledge was used to compare the
practical knowledge storage of deaf and hearing teachers of these
students. Surveyed were 48 deaf and 115 hearing individuals at the
preservice and in-service experience levels. Practical knowledge
storage was defined as images, rules of practice, and practical
principles. Results indicate that deaf teachers tend to view students
as equals but are more likely to emphasize control over classroom
behavior than hearing teachers. Hearing teachers tend to stress efforts
to engage students in subject matter by providing variety and relating
it to life experiences. Given the trend toward high-stakes testing of
teachers, further research is encouraged on role differences between
deaf and hearing teachers working with students who are deaf or hard
of hearing.

Research on teaching and teacher research has a long history. However, in the field of the education of deaf and hard of hearing students, this research is limited. The study addresses one particular area of research on teaching and teacher research: practical knowledge of teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students. Practical knowledge is defined as how educators think about their classroom practice. By means of a survey designed and tested by the researcher, four hierarchical groups (beginning education students, graduating education students, novice teachers, and experienced teachers) in the education of deaf and hard of hearing students were surveyed on their practical knowledge. Practical knowledge codified as images, rules of practice, and practical principles. Results were measured to demonstrate for categories and characteristics of practical knowledge storage among prospective and current teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students. The instrument was designed as an assessment tool to measure aspects of this knowledge, apply it to levels of pedagogical expertise, and expand research in this area.

An ongoing challenge for teachers of deaf students is to give these students a natural environment for writing English. Electronic Networks for Interaction (ENFI) provides a natural approach to teach writing skills to these students, making English more accessible. ENFI can be used in a variety of classroom activities giving opportunity to use writing for communicative purposes without struggling with the language.