This qualitative meta-synthesis examines classroom communication and participation experiences of students who are deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) in inclusive education settings. Classroom communication plays a central role in shaping both academic engagement and social participation. Despite increasing placement in general education classrooms, communicative access and meaningful participation often remain limited. A systematic search of the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases identified eight qualitative studies that met the inclusion criteria. Data-supported findings were identified through repeated reading and synthesized across studies to generate common themes. Studies were then systematically coded to examine these themes. The synthesis revealed five main themes: (1) communication access, (2) classroom participation, (3) social and emotional experiences, (4) identity and belonging, and (5) coping and adaptation strategies. Communication access emerged as the central factor influencing all other dimensions. Students experienced barriers related to environmental conditions (e.g., background noise, poor acoustics), speaker-related factors (e.g., rapid or unclear speech), inconsistent use of hearing technologies, and differences in communication modalities. These barriers limited students’ ability to follow instruction, participate actively, and engage in peer interactions. Restricted communication access was associated with passive participation, social exclusion, listening fatigue, and a reduced sense of belonging. In contrast, classrooms supporting multimodal communication—particularly approaches combining spoken and sign language—facilitated more active participation, stronger peer relationships, and an improved sense of belonging. Enhancing communication access is critical for improving both academic and social outcomes in inclusive education.

Authors:
Duygu Büyükköse, Anadolu University, Türkiye
Şaziye Seçkin Yılmaz, Fenerbahçe University, Türkiye

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Duygu Büyükköse is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Anadolu University, Türkiye

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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