Abstract

Effective learning for hearing impaired students in both primary and secondary schools is a challenge. This is because hearing-impaired students enrolled in regular primary and secondary schools do not cope with the highly competitive complex rapid changing of the world of science and technology.This study investigated the impact of various strategies used in teaching learners with hearing impairment affects their academic performance in the Fako-Division of The South West Region of Cameroon.Specifically, the study sought to investigate the use of the lecture-demonstration method of teaching, explicit method of teaching, the drill and practice methods of teaching, the illustration method of teaching affect the academic performance of learners with hearing impairment.The study employed a cross-sectional research design. Data was collected purposively, with the use of a structured questionnaire, from a sample population of 240 students.Data were descriptively analysed from the questionnaire by calculating frequencies and percentages. Inferential statistics were also employed, using the Spearman Rho Correlation coefficient.Findings revealed that: lecture-demonstration method of teaching had a significant effect on the academic performance (0.670, P = 0.00); the explicit method has a significant effect on academic performance (R= 0.131, P= 0.03); drill and practice has no significant effect on the academic performance (R=0.068, P = 0.29) and illustrative method of teaching has a significant influence on the academic performance (R=0.741, P= 0.00).By implication, teachers use various teaching methods (lecture-demonstration, explicit method and illustrative method) to educates learners with hearing impairment which significantly influences their academic performance.Thus, various teaching plays a vital role in improving the academic performance of learners with hearing impairment. It is recommended that stakeholder should endeavour to organize seminars, workshops to train teachers on how to use different teaching methods effectively to improve students’ academic performance.