Deaf adults: retrospective narratives of school experiences and teacher expectations

Abstract

Seventeen Deaf adults were interviewed about their perceptions of teacher expectations during childhood. Using a six-phase thematic analysis methodology, five themes emerged: helpful and challenging teachers, preference for Deaf teachers, the experience of lowered expectations, the worst teachers, and self-advocacy. The worst teachers were the ones who did not meet communication needs rather than those with the lowest expectations. Participants often advocated for their needs and demanded more challenging schoolwork. Implications of this study are noted for self-advocacy and resistance theories of disability, and introducing cultural perspectives and understandings of disability and Deaf experiences into teacher preparation.

Keywords:

• Deaf adults
• teacher expectations
• academic achievement
• communication access
• self-advocacy
• disability theory

Acknowledgements

The work described in this study was supported by a grant from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Student-Initiated Research Project. Award #H324B020052. The author would like to thank Dr Byran Berrett, Ms Heidi Hottle, and Ms Stephanie Flerchinger for their assistance in data analysis and translation feedback for this study.