| Abstract [eng] |
The Master Thesis deals with the semantic content of the attitudes of teachers of the deaf and parents of Cochlear Implant (CI) users towards educational situation of CI users in Lithuania. The following problem areas were examined: the choice of educational methodologies and literature sources, prospects of collaboration among the respondents, provision of proper information for the parents of the CI users. The following research methods were used in the research: theoretical analysis of research literature, a qualitative interview aimed at understanding and describing the respondents’ experiences and problems, linked with the educational aspects of CI users, the method of content analysis, which allowed interpreting the meaning of the described phenomena and establishing their structure. In order to ensure proper categorisation of the answers received during the analysis of the content of the interview, an expert group method was applied. The research participants were chosen by a convenience sample (N=13 and 8). The parents of CI users were those whose children had been operated on in Lithuania, thus the process of rehabilitation is gradually performed by specialists of this sphere working in Lithuania. The interviewed teachers are working with pre-school and school-age CI users. The research literature emphasizes the necessity of early intervention. By applying a consistent monitoring of CIs and systemic hearing rehabilitation, with maximal participation of parents, deaf children learn to hear their own voice as well as the voices of other people and other sounds and they start communicating by using spoken language. The survey found out the following attitudes: teachers of the deaf give preference to the two major methodologies offered by the Russian (Life through Game) and Australian (Start from the Beginning) authors. The role of otorhinolaryngologists in making decisions regarding the implantation, the choice of the implant producing company or educational institution, is one of the key roles. According to the teachers of the deaf, in working with CI users, the lack of collaboration with otorhinolaryngologists is felt. support. |
