Investigation the Effects on School in the Frame of Educational Change Processes of a Technology Support for Hearing Impaired Students

Abstract

The main purpose of this research is to examine the effects of a technology-based project (ALIS-T) for hearing impaired students on the educational change processes. This qualitative study, where the case study method was applied, was conducted in a hearing impaired primary school. Participants of the study consisted of a school administrator, a vice school administrator, thirteen teachers and the parents of four students in the 3rd and 4th grades. Semi-structured interviews, unstructured observations and documents were used as data collection tools, with data analyzed by descriptive and interpretive analysis. The findings are grouped under the personal change, internal change, and external change model, based on Goodson's educational change model. Teachers, who believe that the technology support is necessary in the education of the hearing impaired, are an important indicator of individual change during the project. The internal change have appeared in six different themes. These themes are respectively understanding of education, in-school interaction, change in school, teaching methods, the structure of school and school's success themes. Also, the external change category has appeared in three different themes. These themes are dissemination, cooperation and organization, and the political importance of the school themes.