DELITES: A Multi-Country Study on Language and Literacy Development for Deaf Learners

Problem Statement

Deaf learners in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are often marginalized in their education systems and face challenges due to inadequate exposure to signed languages in their homes and communities, resulting in language deprivation and later learning challenges. These constraints pose barriers to deaf students’ development of reading skills in non-signed languages, which are vital for their long-term educational success.

In this context, ‘deaf’ is used as an all-inclusive term, to include people who may identify as deaf, deafblind, deaf disabled, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and hearing impaired.

Study Overview

Building upon a related study on Language of Instruction Transitions in Education Systems (LITES), focused on hearing students, SHARE is conducting a multi-country study that aims to inform policy and practice so as to better support the language and literacy development of deaf learners. Led by a team of deaf education scholars and experts in foundational skill development for deaf children, this study, called DELITES (Deaf Education Language of Instruction Transitions in Education Systems) will work intimately with the deaf community in local contexts.

Research Goals and Questions

The objective of the DELITES study is to provide decision makers with information on how to support foundational language and literacy acquisition for learners who are deaf in upper primary school through policy design and implementation. DELITES will explore the adequacy and progress in policy approaches, system factors and local-level (both home and classroom) conditions and practices regarding deaf education language and reading acquisition, in themes like:

• Policy prioritization, policy design, program implementation, and uptake
• Classroom and home conditions and their relationship to learning outcomes
• Psycholinguistic factors (skills transfer across languages)

Phases of the study

Research Study Implementation Locations

• Malawi
• Rwanda
• The Philippines

Research Partners

• University of Notre Dame

Principal Investigators

• TJ D’Agostino

Co-primary investigators

• Chirs Kurz
• Patrick Graham
• Leala Holcomb
• Thomastine Sarchet

For more information on the DELITES study, please contact Leah Maxson at lmaxson@usaid.gov.