Developing the Scale of Problem-Solving Skills for Secondary School-Aged Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Abstract

The scales for measuring problem-solving skills developed for students without impairment do not seem to include essential criteria for measuring the problem-solving skills of secondary school-aged students with hearing impairment. In order to compensate for these lacks and accurately measure these students’ problem-solving skills, a scale of problem-solving skills proposed by secondary school curriculums has been developed. The scale includes texts complying with sign language, its visual components are advanced and the use of verbal expressions is decreased for the secondary school-aged deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The data was collected using the Scale of Problem Solving for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SPSDH) and a personal information form. The sample of this research consisted of 73 students. In order to ensure the construct validity of the test, item analysis was carried out. The outcome of the formula showed that KR-20 internal consistency coefficient was .704 for 8 items. According to the item analysis, the average item difficulty and discrimination indices of the test were calculated as 0.46 and 0.63 respectively. These results show that the items able to distinguish the students in terms of their problem-solving skills. The findings obtained from the present study reveal that the SPSDH is a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used to determine the problem-solving skills of secondary school-aged deaf and hard-of-hearing students.