Effectiveness of Sign Language Instruction on Academic Performance of Deaf Students in Oyo State

This study evaluates the effectiveness of sign language instruction on the academic performance of deaf students in selected special education schools in Oyo State, South West Nigeria. Deaf learners face unique communication barriers that significantly affect their engagement with standard curricula delivered in spoken or written English. Nigerian Sign Language, though formally recognised, remains inconsistently applied across educational settings due to a shortage of trained interpreters and sign language teachers. A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design is adopted, with an experimental group receiving structured sign language instruction and a control group receiving conventional instruction over a ten-week period. Academic performance is measured using researcher-designed achievement tests aligned with the Basic Education Curriculum. The sample comprises sixty deaf students drawn from two special schools in Ibadan. Data are analysed using analysis of covariance to control for pre-existing differences between groups. The study also investigates the extent to which parental involvement in sign language learning affects student outcomes. Findings are expected to demonstrate statistically significant gains in the experimental group, reinforcing the pedagogical value of mother-tongue sign instruction for deaf learners. The study recommends expanded funding for sign language teacher training at the national level and the development of standardised sign language curricula aligned with Nigerian educational benchmarks. Keywords: sign language, deaf students, academic performance, Oyo State, special education.