Twenty-ninth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

In Portugal, intercultural education in plurilingual contexts is a main topic in policy documents, particularly in those concerned with inclusive education. Schools should promote education that befits the educational needs of all students, respecting the multicultural population that attends it. These ideals are particularly important for Deaf students. However, moving from the principles into practices is no easy task. Deaf belong to a minority culture and speak a minority language (Portuguese Sign Language). They face cultural and language barriers because they are taught in a second language. Those barriers do not facilitate their academic learning and their inclusion in the society. Assuming an interpretative approach, we developed a case study to know the social representations and feelings of Deaf adult students (N=11) from a mainstream school in Lisbon. Other participants were their teachers, the researcher and other educational agents. This study aims at knowing how Deaf students experience their inclusion process in this school. Data collecting instruments included interviews, questionnaires, observation, documents and tasks inspired in projective techniques. Data was treated through a narrative content analysis, from which inductive categories emerged. We discuss some students’ accounts. The empirical evidence allows us understanding how the mediation of an oral language and of this school’s culture is distressing for students’ acting. Learning in a culture and in a language other than their own means many barriers to be overcome. Instead of highlighting the richness of diversity, many of this school practices try to promote homogeneity, forgetting the needed of a curricular interculturality.