Predicting Academic Success Among Deaf College Students

• Published in: Journal of deaf studies and deaf education Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. 324 - 343
• Main Authors: Convertino, Carol M., Marschark, Marc, Sapere, Patricia, Sarchet, Thomastine, Zupan, Megan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cary, NC Oxford University Press 2009; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Academic learning; American sign language; Biological and medical sciences; College Preparation; College Students; Colleges; Communication; Communication (Thought Transfer); Deaf education; Deafness; Deafness - psychology; Ear, auditive nerve, cochleovestibular tract, facial nerve: diseases, semeiology; Educational psychology; Educational Researchers; Educational Status; Empirical Articles; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Handicap; Hearing aids; Hearing loss; Humans; Language; Learning; Mainstreaming (Education); Medical sciences; Non tumoral diseases; Nonverbal Ability; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Predictions; Predictor Variables; Pretests; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Reading Tests; School Readiness; Sign Language; Standardized Tests; Students with disabilities; Universities; Young Adult; Learning; Handicap; Human; Acquisition process; University environment; Prediction; Auditory disorder; ENT disease; Student; College academic achievement; Hearing loss
• ISSN: 1081-4159; 1465-7325
• DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enp005

For both practical and theoretical reasons, educators and educational researchers seek to determine predictors of academic success for students at different levels and from different populations. Studies involving hearing students at the postsecondary level have documented significant predictors of success relating to various demographic factors, school experience, and prior academic attainment. Studies involving deaf and hard-of-hearing students have focused primarily on younger students and variables such as degree of hearing loss, use of cochlear implants, educational placement, and communication factors—although these typically are considered only one or two at a time. The present investigation utilizes data from 10 previous experiments, all using the same paradigm, in an attempt to discern significant predictors of readiness for college (utilizing college entrance examination scores) and classroom learning at the college level (utilizing scores from tests in simulated classrooms).Academic preparation was a clear and consistent predictor in both domains, but the audiological and communication variables examined were not. Communication variables that were significant reflected benefits of language flexibility over skills in either spoken language or American Sign Language.