Characterization of cognitive processees in chilean and colombian deaf students

Abstract

Education for deaf students is in a continuous review process, the inclusion of this minority group is a reality and a challenge in the classroom. This article aims to characterize the cognitive processes in the classroom of Colombian and Chilean deaf students of basic/primary education. This is research with a qualitative approach, with a multiple case study design. The participants were organized in terms of Chilean inclusive classrooms (deaf and hearing) and Colombian exclusive (deaf students only) of the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade levels. The Cognitive Processes Observation Guideline (POPC) was applied, which is organized into 4 dimensions: Cognitive Processes, Metacognitive Processes, Motivational Aspects and Supplementary Activities. In addition, a semi-structured interview was applied to teachers, Sign Language interpreters and deaf co-educators. The results are based on the description of the pedagogical strategies used by deaf and hearing teachers to promote cognitive processes in the classroom, considering different dyads (deaf student-deaf/hearing teacher, deaf student-hearing student, deaf student-interpreter) The conclusions point to the fact that inclusive classrooms favor collaborative work and exclusive classrooms develop strategies in sign language, enhancing the learning of deaf students.