Raising Awareness Among Secondary School Students About the Needs of Their Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Peers

Iako je prilagodba potrebama svakog učenika s teškoćama obaveza školskih ustanova, inkluzija gluhih i nagluhih učenika (G/NGL) koji se obrazuju u redovnim školama nije potpuna. Manjak iskustva, stereotipi i nedostatna stručna potpora mogu nepovoljno utjecati na njihovu prihvaćenost te njihov ukupni osobni i socijalni razvoj. Svrha istraživanja bila je prikupiti podatke o stavovima srednjoškolaca prema G/NGL vršnjacima te kreirati i evaluirati program senzibiliziranja za njihove specifičnosti. Prevedenim i adaptiranim Inventarom inkluzije gluhih i nagluhih učenika (Hung, 2005) prikupljeni su podatci povezani s kontaktima: podatci o percipiranoj bliskosti s G/NGL vršnjacima, učestalosti prethodnih dobrovoljnih kontakata s njima te o percepciji razrednog ozračja povezanog s njihovom integracijom. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo ukupno 200 učenika u dobi od 15,5-16,5 godina. Posebno kreiranim programom obuhvaćeno je 105 učenika. Od tog broja, 46 sudionika je pohađalo dva razreda u kojima su bili integrirani G/NGL učenici, a 59 sudionika je bilo u dva razreda bez integracije. S 95 učenika program nije proveden i oni su u istraživanju bili kontrolna skupina. Podatci su prikupljeni u dvije vremenske točke; prije i nakon provedbe programa i statistički obrađeni t-testovima, analizom varijance i standardnom regresijskom analizom. Rezultati su pokazali da je percipirana bliskost s G/NGL vršnjacima relativno visoka, odnosno, da su stavovi prema njima pozitivni. Najmanje pozitivne stavove imali su učenici u razredima koji imaju G/NGL učenika. Provedeni program nije pridonio promjeni stavova. Za predviđanje stavova pokazao se značajnim doprinos prethodnog češćeg dobrovoljnog kontakta s G/NGL učenicima, pozitivnija percepcija razrednog ozračja u odnosu na njihovu integraciju i prisustvo G/NGL učenika u razredu. Rezultati se komentiraju u kontekstu sličnih istraživanja, učinkovitosti provedenog programa te se donose preporuke koje bi mogle pridonijeti inkluziji G/NGL učenika.Although meeting the needs of students with disabilities should be a priority in every school in the country, the inclusion of deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students in the educational system is still inadequate. A lack of experience, stereotypes and incomplete professional support can have a negative effect on D/HH students’ acceptance and their academic and socioemotional development. The goal of this study was to collect data on the attitudes of secondary school students towards their D/HH peers, as well as to create and evaluate a Programme to raise awareness of their needs. The Inclusion of Deaf or Hard of Hearing Students Inventory (Hung 2005) was translated and adapted to the Croatian language. It provided the data on hearing students’ perceived closeness to D/HH peers, frequency of their prior voluntary contacts with D/HH peers, and perception of classroom climate related to inclusion. Out of 200 participants (secondary school students, aged between 15.5 and 16.5 years.), 105 of them participated in the Awareness Raising Programme. Forty-six of them were from two classrooms attended by D/HH students, whereas 59 of them attended classes with no D/HH classmates. The remaining 95 students were a control group, which did not participate in the Awareness Raising Programme. Data were collected before and after the implementation of the Programme and analysed using the t test, analysis of variance and standard regression analysis. The findings show that the perceived closeness to D/HH peers was relatively high, meaning that the attitudes toward them were positive. The least positive attitudes were found in classrooms with a D/HH student. The implemented Programme did not contribute to attitude change. Factors that significantly contributed to the prediction of attitudes were frequent voluntary contact with D/HH students, more positive perception of the classroom climate related to inclusion, and the enrollment of a D/HH student in the classroom. Results are discussed in the context of similar prior research and the efficiency of the implemented Programme. Recommendations for the inclusion of D/HH students in general education classrooms are provided