Abstract:

Visual materials have traditionally been actively used in the field of deaf education to improve access and understanding of information (Simms & Thurman, 2007) because children who are deaf and hard of hearing have limited access to spoken language information (Harris, Terlektsi, & Kyle, 2017). However, the use of visual materials has not been well researched (Rodrigues, Rato, Mineiro, & Holmström, 2022). As part of a study to examine the effective use of visual materials in deaf education, this study aimed to investigate the actual situation regarding what kind of visual teaching materials are used and how teachers are utilized in the field of deaf education, and to clarify the characteristics of the use of visual teaching materials in this field in Japan.

A questionnaire survey was administered to teachers at 23 deaf schools who cooperated with the study, regarding the frequency of use and presentation methods of 23 visual materials (digital textbooks, picture books, picture diaries, applications, etc.) extracted from previous studies. The survey was conducted from July to September 2023.

The survey resulted in valid responses from a total of 284 teachers (46 in kindergartens, 108 in elementary schools, 63 in middle schools, 48 in upper secondary schools, and 19 in advanced upper secondary schools) in 23 deaf schools in Japan. The results of this study suggest that in all school grades, the frequency of use of visual materials and presentation methods: photographs and picture cards, real objects or models, and video and DVD materials, are the most used, and that visual materials that allow students to see a concrete image of the subject are used more frequently. The results from each school grade indicated that in the kindergartens, picture diaries, picture books, and calendars/schedules for language learning are presented as actual materials; in the elementary and junior high schools, textbook-related materials and teacher-made prints/slides related to subject learning are presented on external displays and screens; and in the high schools and upper secondary schools, videos and DVDs related to ICT are presented on external displays and screens. In the upper secondary schools and advanced upper secondary schools, ICT-related video/DVD materials, web information on the Internet, and computer software and applications are presented on an external display or screen, or on students' tablets. These results suggest that visual materials are widely used in kindergartens, elementary and junior high schools, and upper secondary schools to promote understanding of subject matter, and that visual teaching materials are widely used in upper secondary schools and advanced upper secondary schools to make better use of ICT equipment, and that visual teaching materials are used in accordance with the respective developmental stages of deaf children. It is suggested that in the future, visual materials be used in accordance with the developmental stages of deaf children.

Keywords:

Visual materials, Deaf schools, deaf education, current situation, Japan.