EPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION AND COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY

This study was designed to examine the influence of societal attitudes toward the
education of learners with hearing impairments in Benin City. Four research questions were formulated to guide the study.
The study adopted a descriptive research design. The total sample of the study consisted
of fifty(50) learners with hearing impairments in Ihogbe College, from both junior and
senior schools (Hearing Impaired unit) in Benin City, a public Secondary School in the
sampled area. Random sampling technique has used to select the respondents. The
research instruments for the study was a questionnaire titled "Societal Attitudes Towards
the Education of Learners with Hearing Impairments Questionnaire" which was
distributed to the respondents and collected immediately after completion. Simple
frequency percentages, mean scores and standard deviations were used to analyze the
responses. To ensure the reliability of the study, Cronbach's Alpha was calculated,
yielding a value of 0.716.
The findings revealed that societal attitudes have a minimal direct impact on these
learners' educational experiences, with most respondents reporting no significant stigma
or discrimination from peers or teachers. However, the study highlights that
misconceptions and lack of awareness about hearing impairments create challenges in
their education, particularly regarding inclusion in regular classrooms. While societal
attitudes do not significantly motivate academic achievement, they negatively influence
learners' self-esteem and confidence. The study indicates that negative perceptions from
peers and teachers, while not directly affecting academic performance, can lower
motivation and self-confidence, leading to indirect impact on academic success. Overall,
the findings suggests that societal attitudes, while having a modest influence, play a more
significant role in shaping the emotional well being and inclusion of learners with hearing
impairments than in their academic outcomes.

This study was designed to ascertain the integration of The Influence of Societal Attitudes on The Academic Performance of Pupils with Hearing Impairment in Secondary Schools at Ihogbe College Study. Five (5) research questions were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey. The total population of special in Benin metropolis is 100 students in all the schools for special needs, children. Public secondary schools in the sampled area. A total number of 100 students made up the population of the study. The random sampling technique was used to select the respondents for this study. The research instrument for the study was a Questionnaire titled: “The Influence of Societal Attitude On The Academic Performance Of Pupils With Hearing Impairment In Secondary Schools At Ihogbe College Study (POBASSIPSSES)”, which was distributed to the respondents and collected immediately after completion from respondents. The simple percentage and mean score were used in computing the responses of the questionnaire items. To account for the reliability of the study, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used which gave a value of 0. 955. At the end of the study, the findings in examining the influence of societal attitudes on academic performance, it is evident that respondents overwhelmingly agree that people's opinions about students with hearing impairment significantly impact their performance in school. Negative opinions, in particular, are perceived to hinder their academic success,while positive attitudes are believed to foster better academic outcomes. However, there is some discrepancy regarding whether positive attitudes directly contribute to academic improvement, with a significant proportion of respondents disagreeing with this notion.