Achieving Efficient Learning
Why Understanding Theory of Mind Is Essential for Deaf Children … and Their Teachers
Theory of Mind (ToM), originally defined as the ability to consider the human mind as a generator of representations, is a cornerstone in social interactions because it corresponds to developing an awareness of how mental states (beliefs, desires, wishes, etc.) govern the behavior of self and others. This chapter explores relations between ToM and teaching-learning. It begins by discussing these relationships and presenting the state-of-the-art findings about ToM in deaf children. It then discusses how cognitive processes underlying ToM may differ among deaf children, and in deaf children compared to hearing children. The chapter presents ways in which some key aspects of hearing children's ToM might differ from researchers' conceptions about ToM development. This leads to a discussion of learning by deaf students and the need for teachers to be conscious of different learning styles.
Keywords: theory of mind development, deaf education, cognitive processes, hearing children, teaching, learning styles
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