Teachers’ Inclusive Strategies Used For Promoting Learning Equity among Deaf Students in Public Secondary Schools in Nyamagana District, Mwanza-Tanzania
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33687/ijef.003.02.00175Keywords:
Inclusive strategies, Deaf students, learning equity, Universal Design for Learning, TanzaniaAbstract
This study examined teachers' inclusive strategies for promoting learning equity among Deaf students in public secondary schools. Guided by the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, the study employed a qualitative case study design involving 31 participants: 10 teachers, two school heads, two Ward Education Officers, one District Secondary Special Education Officer, and 16 Deaf students. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, classroom observations, and documentary reviews, and were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that while teachers recognized strategies such as sign language, visual aids, differentiated instruction, peer support, and multimodal teaching, implementation was highly inconsistent. A significant gap emerged between teacher-reported practices and classroom realities: only teachers with specialized Hearing Impairment training used sign language consistently, no visual aids specifically tailored for Deaf students were observed, and differentiation and peer support were applied informally. The study concludes that systemic constraints including limited training, severe resource shortages, and large class sizes substantially impede effective practice. Strengthening continuous teacher professional development, targeted resource provision, and institutional support mechanisms is recommended to foster genuine learning equity for Deaf students.
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