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The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the status of public school music instruction for hearing impaired students, and (b) examine the factors that contribute to the successful mainstreaming of hearing impaired students in the regular music classroom. A questionnaire was developed with items concerning demographic information, educational preparation, extent of instructional and administrative support, the extent to which musical and nonmusical goals are set by music educators, factors related to the successful main-streaming of hearing impaired students, obstructions to main-streaming, and activities and curricula successfully implemented in mainstreaming programs. Results of the study revealed the following: (a) more than half of all hearing impaired students attend regular music classes; (b) of those students not mainstreamed, less than half receive no music education in the self-contained classroom or otherwise; (c) many music educators are lacking in the educational preparation necessary for teaching hearing impaired students: (d) important instructional or administrative support is often not available; (e) several factors, such as lack of appropriate curricula or poor communication with other professionals, are identified as obstructions to the successful mainstreaming of hearing impaired students; (f) only 35% of the respondents reported that they have the same objectives for hearing impaired students as for normal hearing students; and (g) methodologies, materials, and activities were identified that were helpful in integrating hearing impaired students into the regular music classroom. Implications for public school music educators are cited.
Darrow et al. (Fri,) studied this question.