Teaching-learning of Sinhala literacy skills in Deaf primary schools in Sri Lanka - A mixed methods inquiry
type: CreativeWork
description: The acquisition of literacy skills (reading and writing skills) among the Deaf population has been an age-old challenge worldwide. Anecdotal evidence from Sri Lanka also informs of the significantly limited Sinhala literacy skills of Deaf students. This challenge is viewed reinforcing a ripple effect with Deaf students poor educational performance extending to long term restrictions in societal participation. Identifying the underlying limitations and enablers, often wrapped in contextual complexities, has been viewed as imperative in the quest to minimize or eliminate these context-dependent, educational inequities. However, given the vast scarcity of context-specific empirical studies featuring such educational disparities in the global South, this study aims to understand the teaching-learning of Sinhala literacy skills of children attending Deaf primary schools in Sri Lanka. This is attempted with the intention of understanding the existing education system and identifying ways to promote equitable quality education for the Deaf student population. It answers the overarching research question, ‘What are Deaf school principals and teachers’ perceptions, processes, and social practices that enable or challenge the teaching–learning of Sinhala literacy skills in Deaf primary school children in Sri Lanka?’. It draws on principals’ and teachers’ views of primary school students who are profoundly hearing-impaired and are more likely to use sign language and receive education in residential Deaf schools, where one of the national languages (Sinhala) is the official medium of instruction. Highlighting particularly the importance of a child’s health condition, communication, and context, three conceptual framings; a) the WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health model (ICF) (2006) from the health sciences, b) Berlo’s SMCR model of communication (1960) from the communication sciences, and c) Bronfenbrenner’s work on ecological systems theo…
abstract: The acquisition of literacy skills (reading and writing skills) among the Deaf population has been an age-old challenge worldwide. Anecdotal evidence from Sri Lanka also informs of the significantly limited Sinhala literacy skills of Deaf students. This challenge is viewed reinforcing a ripple effect with Deaf students poor educational performance extending to long term restrictions in societal participation. Identifying the underlying limitations and enablers, often wrapped in contextual complexities, has been viewed as imperative in the quest to minimize or eliminate these context-dependent, educational inequities. However, given the vast scarcity of context-specific empirical studies featuring such educational disparities in the global South, this study aims to understand the teaching-learning of Sinhala literacy skills of children attending Deaf primary schools in Sri Lanka. This is attempted with the intention of understanding the existing education system and identifying ways to promote equitable quality education for the Deaf student population. It answers the overarching research question, ‘What are Deaf school principals and teachers’ perceptions, processes, and social practices that enable or challenge the teaching–learning of Sinhala literacy skills in Deaf primary school children in Sri Lanka?’. It draws on principals’ and teachers’ views of primary school students who are profoundly hearing-impaired and are more likely to use sign language and receive education in residential Deaf schools, where one of the national languages (Sinhala) is the official medium of instruction. Highlighting particularly the importance of a child’s health condition, communication, and context, three conceptual framings; a) the WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health model (ICF) (2006) from the health sciences, b) Berlo’s SMCR model of communication (1960) from the communication sciences, and c) Bronfenbrenner’s work on ecological systems theo…
author: Wijesinghe, Thilanka
language: eng
keywords: Deaf Education, Deaf schools, Global South, Literacy skills, Mixed methods research, Primary level, Sinhala language, Special education, Sri Lanka, Teaching-learning
license: https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/13a9e6fa-b451-4049-8fea-55d7f51c0572/download
license: https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/
date published: 2023-10-25
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:08Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.107654