Review of Literature on Science Education for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

• In Event: Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Communicating Science Knowledge Across Boundaries

Abstract

The purpose of this review is three-fold. First, an overview of inquiry-based science instruction reform, including the sociohistorical forces behind the movement, is presented. Then, the study examines the empirical research on science education for students who are deaf or hard of hearing from the 1970s to the present and identifies and rates inquiry-based practice. After discussing the difficulty of using science texts with deaf and hard of hearing students, it introduces a conceptual framework that integrates inquiry-based instruction and the construct of performance literacy. It suggests that this integration should enable students who are deaf or hard of hearing and other struggling readers to access the general education curriculum.

Author

• Ye Wang, Missouri State University