ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES EMPLOYED BY SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS TO ASSESS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF HEARING IMPAIRED PUPILS AT SECONDARY LEVEL
Abstract
Hearing impairment adversely affects the educational performance of pupils with hearing impairment. The current study aimed to identify the academic assessment strategies employed by special education teachers for hearing impaired pupils at secondary level in district Faisalabad. A sample of 60 teachers of pupils with hearing impairment was selected for the study using convenience sampling technique. A self-developed questionnaire with 20 questions was used for the purpose of data collection from the respondents. The data collected from the teachers was analyzed in terms of mean and standard deviation. The strategies used by the special educators for the assessment of students with hearing impairment showed that majority of the respondents (M=4.38, S.D=0.761) were using test questions with sign language interpretation to assess the students with hearing loss. A great number (M=4.27, S.D=0.756) of participants were using models and pictures to assess the educational performance of the students with hearing loss. The instruments used by the special educators for the assessment of students with hearing impairment represented that majority of the respondents (M=4.27, S.D=0.972) were using sign language and cued speech to assess the students with hearing loss. The problems faced by the special educators for the assessment of students with hearing impairment indicated that many of the respondents (M=4.03, S.D=0.974) had familiarity with the use of modern tools in assessing the students with hearing, and most of the teachers (M=3.80, S.D=0.782) were facing time constraints in test administration. It was inferred that majority of the respondents opined that they give extra examples along with the test instructions, and test questions are interpreted through sign language to enhance student’s understanding, as well as short and concise questions were used to assess the academic performance of pupils with hearing impairment. The sign language and cued speech were predominantly used as assessment tools. Problems of the teachers included the time constraint in assessing the students with hearing loss. The study will help teachers and professional in educational assessment of the students with hearing impairment.
Key Words: Assessment Strategies, Pupils with Hearing Impairment, Secondary Level.
