Teaching Deaf Students in Polytechnic Malaysia: Identifying Constraints Faced by Educators

Inclusive education has gained significant attention in Malaysia, yet its implementation within technical and vocational institutions remains underexplored, particularly for students with hearing disabilities. This qualitative study investigates the constraints faced by educators teaching deaf students in one Malaysian Polytechnic. Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three lecturers who have experience teaching deaf students. Thematic analysis revealed four major challenges: (1) language and communication barriers, (2) inadequacy of instructional materials, (3) memory and retention difficulties, and (4) emotional sensitivity of deaf students. Although one educator demonstrated proficiency in Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia (BIM), the others had limited fluency, which affected content delivery and student engagement. Additional challenges included English-only teaching materials, inappropriate visuals, lack of post-class resources in sign language, and unaddressed emotional needs. The study underscores the gap between inclusive education policy and classroom practice and calls for systemic reforms in teacher training, curriculum adaptation, technological support, and emotional care. These findings offer valuable insight into the lived experiences of educators and contribute to efforts toward building more inclusive and effective polytechnic learning environments.