Working title: Language acquisition and participation of children with hearing loss

One aim of inclusion is to ensure equal access to education in order to enable children and young people to participate completely and successfully in society (Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für die Belange von Menschen mit Behinderungen, 2018; Platte, 2020). In the context of (inclusive) teaching, which is predominantly organized in spoken language and thus requires hearing and speech comprehension (Bogner et al., 2018; Hennies & Hintermair, 2020), children with hearing impairment who communicate in spoken language encounter numerous barriers to participation (Schwab et al., 2019; Todorov et al., 2021). These result, for instance, from delays in the acquisition of spoken language (Haukedal et al., 2022; Tomblin et al., 2015). It is necessary to record the subjective experiences and needs of these children in order to identify and reduce barriers to participation. It is also important to involve teachers in this process so that they are sensitized to the challenges and needs of their students and provide appropriate support opportunities in the classroom (Todorov et al., 2022).

In order to strengthen the participation of children with hearing impairment, the PhD project will investigate the relationship between language skills, subjective hearing quality in inclusive classrooms and the participation opportunities of children with hearing impairment. On the one hand, standardized language tests and questionnaires on participation and the assessment of subjective hearing quality will be used. On the other hand, interviews will be conducted with children with hearing impairment and their teachers in order to identify barriers and opportunities for support and assistance for participation in inclusive education.