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Inclusion or Exclusion? Critical Needs of Hearing Impaired Learners during an English Reading Comprehension Lesson

Drawing on the social inclusion theoretical model, this study examines critical needs of 
hearing impaired learners during an English reading comprehension lesson. Some of the 
challenges that hearing impaired learners experience arise due to their exclusion from 
activities, participation and access. The study utilised qualitative approaches through 
semi-structured interviews. A total of twenty-six participants from three secondary schools 
located in the northern region of Malawi participated in this study as follows: seven 
regular teachers, two specialist teachers, two resource persons and fifteen hearing impaired 
learners. The results reveal that most hearing impaired learners do not manage to attain all 
reading comprehension objectives. Although teachers use a combination of strategies during 
a reading comprehension lesson, they do not utilise strategies that promote higher-order 
cognitive thinking skills. Finally, the results reveal that hearing impaired learners encounter 
several challenges some of which may be avoided if teachers embrace inclusive practices. 
The results have implications for stakeholders, teachers and researchers as follows: there 
is a need to improve the inclusive system of education by providing in-service training for 
teachers and employing competent specialist teachers and resource persons to facilitate 
the learning of hearing impaired learners. There is also a need to improve the learning and 
teaching facilities for inclusive schools as teachers and learners bemoan lack of teaching 
and learning materials suitable for hearing impaired learners. Teachers would be able to 
overcome some of the barriers to participation and learning which arise due to inadequate 
teaching and learning resources. Further research