Hi! My name is Kate Groves, I am a PhD student at the University of Birmingham (UK). I’m looking for D/deaf and Hard of Hearing students to take part in an online study.

It’s called, “Do Language Attitudes Matter? The Interplay of Home Languages, Language Attitudes and Academic Achievement in D/deaf and Hard of Hearing Adolescents”

This research examines the attitudes or perceptions of D/deaf and Hard of Hearing young people from homes where ASL or spoken English is used and how these attitudes impact cultural and language choices along with academic performance. Specifically, we ask what D/deaf adolescents believe about language and communication as well as what they believe other people think about language and communication. And, critically, how these beliefs shape their academic achievements.

Study Information, ASL
  • Do you use ASL or English at home with your family?
  • Do you have at least 15-20dB corrected hearing loss in your best ear?
  • Are you a high school student (or just graduated in 2023)?

I’m looking for you!

Participation in this study occurs in three parts:

  • Pre-study: you will answer demographic questions and fill out a language assessment questionnaire. This will take 25 minutes.
  • Study: you will respond to a questionnaire in two parts (20 minutes to complete) and an online experiment, which will take about 30 minutes to complete.
  • Post-study: you will participate in a 15-minute video-recorded interview with 4 questions.

Some of the questions ask about your communication behavior, your attitudes about languages, and your language skills. You will also be asked to provide your last report card from high school. The entire study should take from 1 ½ to 2 hours, done at once or in separate appointments.

There are no right or wrong answers; we are just interested in your opinions. Your participation in this research is voluntary and it is your choice whether to participate or not. You may choose not to participate or to stop participating at any time without penalty or loss of benefits.

All collected information is kept confidential, only I (Kate Groves) or my supervisor (Dr. Robin Thompson of the University of Birmingham) will have access to the data. There are no forseen risks for participation in the study. Knowledge gained from this study may help educators and researchers better understand how to improve learning conditions for D/deaf and Hard of Hearing learners. Your opinion and responses matter!

After participating in the study, participants will receive a $10 gift card.

Would you like to participate, or do you have further questions about the study? Please email me at kmg703@student.bham.ac.uk.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you soon!