Analysis of Deaf Students’ Experiences in Sign Language Interpreter-mediated Classroom in Public Universities in Ghana.

Details

**This is a hybrid event. If attending in-person, please register and join us in Foust 206. (Please note the Foust Building does not have an elevator.) If attending virtually, please register and the session link will be emailed to you soon. 

This week’s topic:     Analysis of Deaf Students’ Experiences in Sign Language Interpreter-mediated Classroom in Public                                    Universities in Ghana.

Presenter:                  Dr. Felix Kwame Kumedzro, Principal, Akatsi College of Education, Ghana 

Target Audience:      Campus-wide    

Bring your lunch and join us in-person or virtually! This qualitative study, guided by three research questions, explored the experiences of Deaf students in sign language interpreter-mediated classrooms at three Ghanaian public universities. Using an interpretative phenomenological design, the study employed a two-stage sampling approach, combining purposive and convenience sampling to recruit participants. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, and results were presented based on experiential themes that emerged from the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings revealed that Deaf students faced significant challenges such as inconsistent interpreter availability, lecturers’ polarised teaching methods, and occasional mockery. Positive experiences were reported when lecturers employed inclusive strategies and interpreters attended lectures regularly. Furthermore, hearing students provided peer support through sign language interpreting assistance and assignment reviews, motivated by mutual benefits that reflect the Ubuntu ethos of collective humanity. It is therefore recommended that lecturers continually and intentionally adopt Deaf-friendly teaching strategies to ensure Deaf students are not marginalized in the classroom, and universities should employ more sign language interpreters.