Teachers' use of assistive listening devices in inclusive schools

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine factors that can explain teachers' use of assistive listening devices in inclusive schools for pupils with hearing loss (HL). Assistive listening devices, such as teacher-microphones and pupil-microphones, can ensure an enhanced listening environment for such pupils and thus induce a higher level of participation in the teaching. The study included 167 teachers of pupils with HL in fifth through tenth grades. The analyses indicated that factors related to the teachers, pupils, parents and technology influenced the teachers' use of microphones. Teachers with positive attitudes toward the microphones tend to integrate them regularly in classroom communications compared with teachers who are negatively inclined. Frequent use of the microphones also occurred if pupils had severe HL. Furthermore, parents who tend to be highly involved in the children's school performance indirectly affected the teachers' microphone use. Additionally, frequent use of pupil-microphones seems to be dependent of the number of microphones; a high-density of microphones promoted their use.

Keywords:

• hearing impairments
• assistive listening devices
• inclusive schools