Effects of Manual Communication Method on Listening Proficiency of Students with Hearing Impairment in Special Schools in Lafia Metropolis, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Listening proficiency is a foundational skill that underpins academic success, yet for students with hearing impairment, the development of this skill is heavily dependent on the communication methods employed in the classroom. This study investigated the effects of the manual communication method on the listening proficiency of students with hearing impairment in special schools in Lafia Metropolis, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi-experimental. The entire population was 57 students with hearing impairment from the two schools. Simple random sampling technique was used in selecting the participants. Participants from Government Comprehensive Special School, Lafia (n=15) formed the experimental group which received instruction using the manual communication method incorporating sign language, fingerspelling, gestures and visual cues and Dunama Special School as control group (n=14) which received instruction using the oral communication method emphasizing speech and lip reading. Listening proficiency was measured using a validated 100-mark Listening Proficiency Assessment Tool which yielded a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.82. Pre-test and post-test scores were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and two-way analysis of variance. Results revealed a statistically significant difference in post-test scores: the experimental group (M = 72.40, SD = 8.30) outperformed the control group (M = 58.20, SD = 7.90) with t(27) = 4.68, p < .001, indicating a large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.76). Age of onset of hearing loss and parental communication mode were found to influence the effectiveness of the communication methods. The findings demonstrated that the manual communication method significantly enhances listening proficiency among students with hearing impairment. The study recommended that special schools adopt manual communication as a primary instructional method and that teacher training programmes integrate comprehensive manual communication instruction for educators working with deaf learners.