Knowledge to Action: Interactions Between Science Knowledge and Advocacy Skills Among Parents of Hearing-Impaired Children

• In Event: Factors Impacting the Social and Emotional Well-Being and Educational Outcomes of Deaf Students

Abstract

The hearing-impaired child's potential of integrating into hearing society largely depends on his parents. Among other skills and types of knowledge, this requires parents to learn and understand vast amounts of scientific knowledge in the field of hearing. The research question guiding this project is: What are the interactions between general scientific knowledge, contextual scientific knowledge in the field of hearing, and parents' advocacy skills? Based on six semi structured interviews and 96 questionnaires completed by parents of hearing-impaired children, we found that scientific knowledge plays a major role in the lives of hearing impaired, even if they do not list it as a resource for successful integration into hearing society.

Authors

• Ayelet Baram-Tsabari, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

• Sophie Shauli, Technion Israel Institute of Technology