Curriculum: cultural and communicative contexts

Des Power*, Greg Leigh

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this chapter "curriculum" is taken to refer to all of the arrangements that are made for student learning-planned and unintended-not just the documents that outline content, objectives, and procedures (the syllabus). For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, aspects of the curriculum will be determined by how deafness is defined, what is valued, and perceptions of what a "deaf life" may mean. In particular, issues such as the developers' perspectives on deafness ("sociocultural" or "medical"), program location (regular or separate school), methods of communication (auditory-oral only, sign language, or some combination), and the likely nature of post-school life for deaf people (engagement with the Deaf community) will be critical in determining curriculum content and outcomes. This chapter considers these issues and argues that the curriculum development process should consider the full range of possible social, cultural, and communicative contexts for deaf learners in establishing objectives and learning experiences for them. The determination of curriculum objectives for deaf and hard hard-of of-hearing students is also influenced by the often-noted difficulties they have with the language of education. The chapter considers "curriculum areas" such as mathematics, science, and social studies and recent developments in the use of multi-media applications from the particular perspective of deaf learners. The role of "Deaf Studies" in school curricula is also canvassed, as are the implications for deaf students of their placement in regular or separate educational settings. Finally, assessment of curriculum outcomes is considered, both within the school setting and for deaf students' participation in state and national testing regimes.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Oxford handbook of deaf studies, language, and education
EditorsMarc Marschark, Patricia Elizabeth Spencer
Place of PublicationNew York
PublisherOxford University Press
Pages32-46
Number of pages15
Volume1
Edition2nd
ISBN (Electronic)9780199940271
ISBN (Print)9780199750986
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • assessment
  • curriculum
  • deaf
  • hard-of-hearing
  • hearing loss
  • language
  • methods of communication
  • outcomes
  • program placement
  • school subjects

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