The ‘Self’ of Hearing-Impaired Learners and their Transition from Primary to Post-Primary Education in Uganda

Abstract

In Uganda, post-primary education is one of the milestones in a child’s education. It is characterized by many challenges, particularly faced by learners with hearing impairments attempting to transition from primary to post-primary level. The transition has long been recognized as one of the most challenging issues for learners with hearing impairments, yet it has not been resolved by impeccable empirical scrutiny. This quagmire prompted the researcher to use a phenomenological investigation to explore the significant self-concepts affecting the learners’ transition from primary to post-primary studies. Interviews and group discussions with randomly selected learners who had joined and those who had failed to proceed to post-primary schools were involved. Also, corroborative views and opinions were obtained from preferred teachers and parents in interviews and discussions. It was discovered that the transition of learners with impaired hearing from primary to post-primary level was substantially influenced by family socioeconomic status, gender, age, health, and the learner’s cultural issues – validating the applicability of Schlossberg’s Theory of Transition to provide person-centered answers to transition deterrents, inhibiting the learners from joining and or staying in postprimary schools. It was recommended that self-advocacy training at the primary level be enhanced to help learners develop the skills they need for confidence growth in their abilities before, during and after the transition to post-primary educational institutions.