Preservice Preparation of Teachers of the Deaf in the Twenty-First Century: A Case Study of Griffith University, Australia

Abstract

The provision of educational services to students who are deaf or hard of hearing in the compulsory school years in Australia has seen a shift from exclusive, isolated settings in the 1970s to an inclusive approach personalized to cater to the diversity of those students requiring educational support. Universities that undertake specific programs to train teachers of the deaf need to respond proactively to ensure that graduates are able to provide services in all types of school environments. The present study concerns the evaluation of preservice teachers of the deaf by their university, by their teacher mentors, and through their own assessment of the skills required to be a teacher of the deaf. The study's overall conclusion is that programs for preservice teachers of the deaf can produce high-quality graduates and that graduates undertake postgraduate study after some years of teaching.