‘Were the Fathers Available?’: An Evaulation of Fathers’ Involvement in Emergency Remote Eeducation of Learners who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Abstract

Prior to the emergence of the coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19), studies revealed lower involvement of fathers in the education of learners who are Deaf and Hard of hearing (LDHH). Although research evidence reveals that work structure and other commitments may be responsible for fathers’ limited involvement in the education of their children, there is limited research evidence in existence on the involvement of fathers of LDHH in remote education during the COVID-19 lockdowns. This study therefore explored fathers’ involvement in the remote education of their LDHH, based on the mothers’ perceptions. Hinged on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, two research questions were raised and answered in the study. Eight mothers of LDHH from KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa participated in this qualitative study. Data was gathered via a semi-structured telephonic interview, and the collected data was analysed thematically. The findings revealed that: (i) the involvement of fathers in the remote education of LDHH saw a fair increase during the lockdowns when compared to the pre-COVID-19 era; (ii) father-child communication competencies (especially in terms of sign language), the fathers’ ability to provide the technical devices needed for remote education, and their ability to intervene promptly during technical difficulties were factors that influenced the perceptions of the fathers’ involvement in the remote education of LDHH during the lockdowns. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations were made for policy and practice.

Keywords

• Fathers’ involvement
• remote education
• learners who are Deaf and Hard of hearing
• COVID-19
• sign language