STATUS AND CHALLENGES OF HEARING-IMPAIRED STUDENTS: FRAMEWORK FOR INSTRUCTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
Keywords:
hearing impairment, inclusive education, accessibility, teacher support, hearing-impaired students, instructional development, mixed-methodsAbstract
This study examined the experiences of hearing-impaired students in an inclusive learning environment at Bataan National High School–Junior High School during School Year 2025–2026, as the basis for developing an instructional development program. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used, combining a researcher-constructed Likert-scale questionnaire with a structured focus group discussion. Respondents were 14 junior high school students with varying degrees and types of hearing loss, selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and thematic analysis. Results showed that students perceived moderate access to learning materials, high teacher support, and moderately met academic and emotional needs; the environment was generally supportive but not fully inclusive. Group comparisons showed no statistically significant differences in challenges by hearing functionality or type of hearing loss, except that personal and demographic factors showed larger, though still non-significant, mean differences by functionality. Qualitative findings pointed to persistent barriers — reliance on oral instruction, inadequate visual resources, limited availability of interpreters, restricted peer contact, and teachers' limited proficiency in Filipino Sign Language — alongside students' calls for visual-based instruction, consistent accommodations, and a more hearing-impaired-friendly school culture. The study concludes that while inclusive practices exist at Bataan National High School–Junior High School, significant gaps remain in instructional delivery, communication support, and environmental inclusivity. An instructional development program is recommended to strengthen teacher training, provide assistive resources, enhance social integration, and cultivate a school culture responsive to the needs of hearing-impaired students, in support of equitable access to quality education.
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