WITHOUT BOUNDARIES: AN INQUIRY INTO DEAF EPISTEMOLOGIES THROUGH A METAPARADIGM.

THE ONGOING DEBATE on Deaf epistemologies reflects two major paradigms in deaf education: positivism and constructivism. The present article investigates Deaf epistemologies through a metaparadigm, which should blur the boundaries among different paradigms and connect the epistemological inquiry to instructional practice for d/Deaf students. The author states that researchers and educators should not be obsessed with defending a particular paradigm and attacking others, but should move toward paradigmatic integration. If successful instructional practices are to be fully understood, each paradigm needs insights from the others. Furthermore, effective classroom instruction should be based on the goal of the educational activity and the ability of the students in the classroom. Mainstream theories and research in English literacy education can and should be applicable to d/Deaf students; furthermore, using appropriate instructional tools, teachers of the d/Deaf can and should teach phonologically related skills to their students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]