Voice notebook as an alternative communication support for deaf students at the St. John’s Integrated Senior High Technical School, Navrongo

Abstract

Deaf students in inclusive secondary schools continue to face communication barriers that limit classroom participation and academic performance, particularly where sign language support is inadequate. This quantitative study examined the effectiveness of Voice Notebook as an alternative communication support tool for deaf students at St. John’s Integrated Senior High Technical School, Navrongo. An experimental research design was adopted, involving an experimental group and a control group. A total of 79 deaf students participated in the study. Data were collected using pre-test and posttest achievement tests in English and Social Studies, as well as a structured questionnaire measuring students’ use and perceived effectiveness of Voice Notebook. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (paired-sample t-tests and independent-sample t-tests). The findings revealed that Voice Notebook was most effective for note-taking (M = 3.6) and recording reminders (M = 3.8), but less effective for real-time conversations (M = 3.1). Deaf students reported a high overall effectiveness rating (M = 4.4, SD = 0.4), indicating strong satisfaction with the tool. Academic performance significantly improved among students in the experimental group, with post-test gains ranging from 3.6 to 4.9 points across class levels (p < 0.05), while improvements in the control group were minimal and statistically insignificant. The study concludes that Voice Notebook is an effective assistive technology that enhances communication access, classroom participation, and academic performance among deaf students. Based on these findings, the study recommends the integration of Voice Notebook into teaching and learning processes, alongside appropriate training and support mechanisms to enhance inclusive education for deaf learners.