Abstract
Inclusion is seen as a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities, and reducing exclusion within and from education. It involves changes and modifications in content, approaches, structures and strategies, with a common vision which covers all children of the appropriate age range and a conviction that it is the responsibility of the regular system to educate all children (UNESCO, 2005).
The trends in special education advocate the inclusion of children with special needs, including learners who are hard of hearing, in regular schools whenever possible. It is therefore necessary that the environment in regular schools should be conducive to facilitate the interaction, development, participation and working together of learners who are hard of hearing with their hearing peers. For this to be realized, learners who are hard of hearing should freely interact with their hearing peers in various activities.
As a natural phenomenon which occurs amongst human beings, interaction plays an integral part in everyday life. The interaction process involves what people actually do when they influence each other's behaviour. Many factors may hinder or sustain the interaction process. This study is an attempt to investigate the interaction between the learners who are hard of hearing and their hearing peers during physical education in one regular school in Tanzania and to describe the situation and their participation in physical activities.
A qualitative research and Case study design were used. Data was collected by means of observation, with the help of note taking and interview, with the help of radio-tape recorder for recording the conversations. Four learners who are hard of hearing were involved and participate under observation, two hearing peers and three teachers were involved in the participation under interview.All these participants were from the same school.
The results obtained indicate that learners who are hard of hearing interact favourably with their hearing peers despite the verbal communication barriers that exist, insufficient equipment and facilities for sports and games, lack of adaptive physical educators, the physical education as optional, not well given concentration as other subjects, even though is among of the highly interactive subject to both group of learners (hard of hearing with hearing peers).
The results of this study call for the recognition of learners who are hard of hearing in physical education, which is the among of the most interactive subject and easy for the learners to express their feelings and behaviours which could enhance modification and help them to change towards their peer, particularly in regular schools. Proper planning as regards the inclusion and awareness of learners who are hard of hearing is needed. Sensitization of the public and education need to be vigorous so that the regional and municipal administrators, school counselors, school community, parents and all other stakeholders know their roles and the needs of individuals with disabilities, and in particular those who are hard of hearing.
Finally, a policy guideline for education and the means of providing Special education has to be updated in order to improve services at all learners in need.