Analysis of the quality of inclusion of students with hearing impairment in the Maltese educational system

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse the experiences of students with hearing impairment in inclusive mainstream schools. With the move towards inclusion of all children with individual educational needs, all students with hearing impairment have found their place in mainstream schools in Malta. Thus, this study set out to investigate how the education system in Malta is supporting students with hearing impairment, and for this purpose, interviews with three students who have hearing impairment, some of their parents and a sign language interpreter were carried out. From the analysis of the interviews, it was identified that these students needed support in areas involving literacy and academic achievement, communication, and socialization. Also, the degree of support as related to the impairment-related needs of the students was an aspect for consideration in this study. This led to the conclusion that in certain cases the support at school was counterproductive since its outcome yielded different results from the purpose it was originally designed to achieve. This is because the support given created a dependency on the support giver instead of fostering independence. Other results obtained show that although support was helping students to be included in mainstream classes, the need for more support in communication and language has been felt as an important factor in helping the students develop better socializing skills that would lead to a more successful inclusive educational experience at school.