Itinerant teachers. Responsibilities, perceptions, preparation, and students served

Area of Science:

• Education
• Special Education
• Audiology

Background:

• Increasing numbers of deaf and hard of hearing students are educated in general settings.
• The itinerant service-delivery model is widely used but lacks research.
• There is a need for data on itinerant teaching practices and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a foundational database on itinerant teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students.
• To document job responsibilities, teacher perceptions, and preparation requirements.
• To gather information on the characteristics of students served by itinerant teachers.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to itinerant teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students.
• Data were collected from 319 returned surveys.
• Statistical analysis was performed on the collected survey data.

Main Results:

• Itinerant teaching practices significantly differ from traditional educational models for deaf and hard of hearing students.
• Key aspects of itinerant teacher roles, including responsibilities and student demographics, were identified.
• Teacher perceptions regarding their preparation and the effectiveness of their support were documented.

Conclusions:

• The study provides initial data on the itinerant service-delivery model for deaf and hard of hearing students.
• Findings highlight the distinct nature of itinerant teaching and its implications for teacher training and support.
• Further research is recommended to explore the effectiveness and optimize practices within itinerant deaf education.