SCHOOL FACTORS AS PREDICTORS OF ANXIETY DISORDER AMONG LEARNERS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN IBADAN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are the most common, or frequently occurring, mental disorders. It occurs when anxiety gets out of control and starts to affect everyday life. However, students with hearing impairment with an anxiety disorder have very strong feelings of worry, uneasiness or fear. But previous research has reported that rates of overall anxiety in students with hearing impairment are elevated compared with hearing students. Therefore, this study examined how school factors predict anxiety disorder among students with hearing impairment. This study utilized correlational survey research design to determine the relationships between the variables. Purposive sampling technique was used to select three local government areas in Ibadan metropolis where schools for the deaf are available.  A secondary school from each of the three local government areas was also purposively selected. From each of the schools, J.S.S 3 to S.S.3 students within the age range of 14 to 18 were randomly selected. In each class, all students with hearing impairment were randomly selected.  A total of 90 students were selected. School Factors Scale (SFS) and Anxiety Disorder Scale (ADS) were the instruments used to gather the research data. The research questions were analysed using multiple regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that the joint contribution of school factors (classroom environment, teacher-students interaction) on anxiety disorder among students with hearing impairments were significant (F_{(2, 87)} = 17.14; p<0.05). Also, the relative contribution of teacher-students interaction (? = 0.522; t =4.39; p<0.05) was significant with 15.8% contribution, while the relative contributions of classroom environment (? = 0.014; t = 0.121; p> 0.05) was not statistically significant. There was positive teacher-student interaction, decreased anxiety disorder among students with hearing impairments. It was therefore recommended that schools should provide more conducive environment to students with hearing impairment, to reduce the risk of anxiety disorder.