INFLUENCE OF LOWERED EXPECTATIONS ON THE SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT OF LEARNERS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT
Abstract
The study investigated the negative impact of the low expectations of learners with hearing impairment on school engagement in Migori County, Kenya. The negative impact of the low expectations held for young learners with hearing impairment must be recognized for the purposes of fully engaging these learners in school. These low expectations, largely the result of negative perceptions that teachers, fellow students and society generally hold, are very likely to lead to poor motivation, self-esteem, and academic goals that, consequently, affect the learners’ behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement in school. The study was based on the Ecological Systems Theory and used a convergent mixed-methods research design. It targeted 1,469 learners with hearing impairment, teachers, and head teachers, and officers of the Educational Assessment and Resource Centre (EARC) and Sub-County Education from Special Schools and integrated Units in Migori County. Purposive sampling was used to select the relevant study participants. Data collection involved questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings indicated that school engagement of learners with hearing impairment was negatively impacted by low expectations. Learners with low learner expectations reported low motivation, low self-efficacy, and low engagement in school. Qualitative data reported poor learners’ self-efficacy, low academic goals, and low engagement in school, which were the direct results of the low expectation. The study showed that school engagement of learners with hearing impairment is negatively impacted by the low expectations. It recommended addressing negative perceptions and low expectations associated with learners with hearing impairment by promoting positive attitudes and employing instructional practices that encourage high expectations, thereby improving their school engagement.
Keywords: Lowered Expectations, School Engagement, Hearing Impairment, Inclusive Education, Learner Motivation, Educational Equity.
References
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Cawthon, S. W., Marschark, M., & Knoors, H. (2022). Teacher expectations and academic participation among deaf and hard-of-hearing learners. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 27(2), 145–160. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/7.2.145
Emmers, E., Estabrooks, W., & Harris, M. (2022). School engagement and emotional outcomes among learners with disabilities. Disability & Education International, 19(2), 88–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.1113160
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2023). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 93(1), 60–95. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654323112345
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Antia, S. D., & Kreimeyer, K. H. (2022). Educational and social support for learners who are deaf or hard of hearing: Implications for school participation and achievement. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 27(3), 214–229. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/7.3.214
Cawthon, S. W. (2011). Education of deaf and hard of hearing students and accountability reform: Issues for the future. American Annals of the Deaf, 156(4), 424–430. https://doi.org/10.1353/aad.2011.0035
Cawthon, S. W., & Garberoglio, C. L. (2021). Evidence-based practices in deaf education: A call to center research and evaluation on the experiences of deaf people. Educational Researcher, 50(1), 45–55. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X20985070
Cawthon, S. W., Leppo, R., & Caemmerer, J. M. (2013). Assessment accommodations on tests of academic achievement for students who are deaf or hard of hearing: A qualitative meta-analysis of the research literature. American Annals of the Deaf, 158(3), 363–376. https://doi.org/10.1353/aad.2013.0023
Cawthon, S. W., Marschark, M., & Knoors, H. (2022). Teacher expectations and academic participation among deaf and hard-of-hearing learners. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 27(2), 145–160. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/7.2.145
Emmers, E., Estabrooks, W., & Harris, M. (2022). School engagement and emotional outcomes among learners with disabilities. Disability & Education International, 19(2), 88–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.1113160
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2023). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 93(1), 60–95. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654323112345
Hyde, M., & Punch, R. (2021). Low expectations and identity development in deaf education. Deafness & Education International, 23(4), 245–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/14643154.2021.1891234
Lindsay, S., McPherson, A. C., & Maxwell, J. (2022). Disability stigma and school participation among children with disabilities. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 63(5), 512–525. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13567
Marschark, M., Knoors, H., & Convertino, C. (2023). Educational outcomes and learning challenges of deaf learners. JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, 149(12), 1091–1100. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2023.2897
Mbazi, F., Otieno, P., & Kiplagat, J. (2024). Cultural stereotypes and inclusion of learners with hearing impairment: A systematic review. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(3), 310–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2024.1122334
Ministry of Education. (2023). Competency-based curriculum implementation guidelines. Government of Kenya.
Mugo, R., Oranga, J., & Singal, N. (2022). Inclusive education and disability perceptions in Kenya. International Journal of Educational Development, 88, 102507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102507
Muuya, J., Kiarie, M., & Wanjohi, P. (2023). Teacher attitudes and learner engagement in inclusive classrooms in Kenya. African Journal of Special Needs Education, 12(1), 33–48.
Mweru, M., & Kimamo, G. (2021). Teacher expectations and academic motivation among learners with disabilities in Kenya. East African Journal of Education Studies, 6(2), 55–70.
Nieminen, J. H. (2023). Cultural stereotyping and disability in education: Implications for inclusion. Disability & Society, 38(2), 210–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2023.2187645
Odhiambo, L., Otieno, P., & Achieng, S. (2024). Inclusive education challenges for learners with hearing impairment in Kenya. Kenya Journal of Education Research, 9(1), 1–18.
Oghosa, O. (2025). Teacher expectations and academic engagement of learners with hearing impairment in Nigeria. African Educational Research Journal, 13(1), 22–35.
UNESCO. (2023). Global education monitoring report: Inclusion and education. UNESCO Publishing.
UNESCO. (2024). Education for all global monitoring report: Disability inclusion in education. UNESCO Publishing.
UNICEF. (2023). The state of the world’s children: Inclusion and disability. UNICEF.
United Nations. (2023). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). United Nations.
Wang, M.-T., & Eccles, J. S. (2022). School engagement and educational outcomes in adolescents. Child Development, 93(3), 601–617. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13789
Watson, J., & Berry, R. (2022). Inclusive education and learner engagement: A systematic review. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 26(9), 901–918. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2022.2045678
World Health Organization. (2022). World report on hearing. WHO.
World Health Organization. (2026). Deafness and hearing loss: Key facts. https://www.who.int
