Original Research Article

Social Support Pointers and Social Adjustment of Students with Hearing Impairment in Cameroon

Tani Emmanuel Lukong^* and Achanwith Eveline Fobellah

Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Buea.

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: elukongt@gmail.com

Received: 20 May 2022  I  Accepted: 26 June 2022  I  Published: 28 June 2022  I  Article ID: MRJER22011
Copyright © 2022 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.
This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0.

Abstract

Social support and social adjustment of students with hearing impairment constitute one of the socially constructed research niches grossly neglected by researchers particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Social support was operationalised in this study as emotional, financial; material supports. The social adjustment pathways of hearing-impaired students remain problematic as they battle through socially, culturally and educationally constructed impediments. The correlational survey research design was used and the samples of 19 students with hearing impairment were involved in the study. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The descriptive statistical tools used were frequency count, percentages and multiple responses set which aimed at calculating the summary of findings for each variable. To test the hypotheses of the study, the Spearman rho test was used because the data for the variables were not normally distributed based on the statistics of the test of normality assumption trend of the data. Findings indicated that there was a significant and relatively strong relationship between emotional support and social adjustment of students with hearing impairment (P< 0.001, far <0.05). The positive sign of the correlation value (R= 0.431**) implied that students with hearing impairment were more likely to be experience high social adjustment when they adequately received emotional support from their loved ones. Also, findings showed that there was a significant relationship between financial support and social adjustment of students with hearing impairment (P 0.009, <0.05). The positive sign of the correlation value (R= 0.261**) implies that students with hearing impairment were more likely to be experience high social adjustment when they adequately received financial support from their loved ones. Similarly, further analysis showed that there was a very significant relationship between material support and social adjustment of students with hearing impairment (P 0.010, <0.05). The positive sign of the correlation value (R= 0.256**) implied that students with hearing impairment were more likely to be experience high social adjustment when they adequately received material support from their loved ones. Conclusively, findings showed that social support has an effect on social adjustment of students with hearing impairment in the Buea Sub Division. It was recommended that teachers and parents and community should support and spend more time to listen and show love to students with hearing impairment. This will help the feel belong and loved which will enhance the psychological wellbeing and positive social adjustment in social situation.

Keywords: Buea Sub Division, Hearing Impairment, Pointers, Social adjustment, Social Support, Students