Providing quality education for all: the dilemma of deaf students in a mainstream Technical University

Abstract

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) requires that students comprehend and turn theoretical knowledge into practical skills within the shortest possible time, if not immediately. This dictate of TVET however, is a major challenge for most Deaf students who largely rely on others to benefit from classroom teaching because of communication challenges. It is for this reason that this study considered the experiences of the Deaf pursuing TVET programmes in a mainstream Technical University and how they could be supported. A qualitative approach (face-to-face interview) was adopted and thematic analysis was used in analysing the data. Generally speaking, the Deaf students had academic, financial and socio-cultural challenges. Nonetheless, what is so intriguing to read in this study is the communication challenges they experienced. The study’s findings suggest the need for Sign Language (SL) to be promoted at least, among those who come into contact with Deaf students pursuing TVET in a technical university.