A Call for a Diversity of Perspectives in Deaf Education Research A Response to Mayer and Trezek (2020)

• Published in: American annals of the deaf (Washington, D.C. 1886) Vol. 166; no. 1; pp. 49 - 61
• Main Authors: Scott, Jessica A., Dostal, Hannah M., Lane-Outlaw, Susan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Gallaudet University Press 01-01-2021
• Subjects: Academic achievement; American Sign Language; Bilingual Education; Bilingualism; Children; Curricula; Deafness; Education; Education policy; Educational Environment; Educational Policy; Educational Practices; Educational Research; English; English language; History; Institutional Characteristics; Language of Instruction; Learning; Literacy; Literacy Education; Literature reviews; Manual Communication; Mathematics Achievement; Multilingualism; Oral Communication Method; Reading Comprehension; Research Methodology; Schools; Sign language; Student Characteristics; Students; Total Communication; Writing
• ISSN: 0002-726X; 1543-0375; 1543-0375
• DOI: 10.1353/aad.2021.0010

Scott, Dostal, and Lane-Outlaw challenge findings and conclusions from a literature review by Mayer and Trezek regarding the literacy achievement of deaf children who are educated in schools and programs that espouse bilingual ASL/English instruction. Mayer and Trezek’s article appeared in the Winter 2020 American Annals of the Deaf. In addition to responding to Mayer and Trezek’s findings and conclusions, Scott et al. outline factors they consider important for all researchers and practitioners who generate and consume knowledge regarding bi- and multilingual deaf education. Specifically, they recommend careful attention to and inclusion of individual- and school-level variables, use of appropriate comparison groups, and valuing of information acquired through various methodologies (both quantitative and qualitative). These recommendations are made in the spirit of improving the state of knowledge and the production and consumption of research that informs policy and practice in bi- and multilingual deaf education.