Narratives of Identity: How Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Youth Come to Know Themselves Through Relationships With Their Specialist Itinerant Teachers

• In Event: Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Considerations of Experience and Identity

Abstract

This study used a narrative inquiry to investigate the significance of the unique teacher-student relationship between deaf and hard of hearing adolescents and their specialist itinerant teachers. Individual stories were analyzed using a thematic content analysis and emerging themes highlight the importance of relationships with non-parent adults in school for students who may be at-risk for academic failure and social-emotional distress. Findings emphasize the importance of these longstanding teacher-student relationships to the identity development of DHH youth and to facilitate inclusive practices. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Author

• Nancy Norman, Kwantlen Polytechnic University