Educating Students With Hearing Impairment During Covid-19 Pandemic : A Case of Inclusive and Special Schools

Abstract

Observation of protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult for students with special needs particularly for students with hearing impairment (SWHI). The challenges of educating students with hearing impairment have increased after the adoption of the online education system. The purpose behind this study was to highlight the steps taken for the continuation of education in the inclusive and special schools of Punjab during a pandemic. A mixed-method approach was used to conduct this study. Two different groups of the population were taken from 9 divisions of Punjab to derive a suitable sample of this study; teachers of students with hearing impairment (SWHI) and executive members of government related to both special and inclusive schools in Punjab. The teachers from both settings were selected using random sampling. The in-depth interviews of the executive members dealing with special and inclusive schools in Punjab were conducted. The tool of the research was an interview protocol and a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed by applying both qualitative and quantitative methods. This research has highlighted rare practices of online teaching, lack of technological resources, teachers' and students' lack of competency in online teaching, both in the special inclusive schools of the Punjab. A significant difference (p=.000?.05)was found between the special and inclusive schools' efforts made for the continuation of education during a pandemic.