Document Type : Original Research Paper
Authors
Department of Instructional Technology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'I University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Teaching abstract chemistry concepts to students with hearing impairments is one of the fundamental challenges of the educational system. Mental rotation ability, as a core component of spatial thinking, plays a central role in understanding chemistry concepts, and research has shown that the blended learning approach could help improve learning in students with special needs. In blended learning, students with special educational needs simultaneously benefit from online learning and in-person instruction and can work independently at their own pace. Additionally, this approach allows teachers to act with greater flexibility and dedicate more time to individual interaction with students. Given the lack of comprehensive studies in this field, this research aimed to systematically review studies conducted on the impact of blended-learning educational programs on the mental rotation ability of students with hearing impairments in understanding chemistry concepts.
Methods: This research was a systematic review study conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Article searches were performed in five databases – Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ERIC, and Google Scholar – for the period between 2014 and 2025. Inclusion criteria included original research articles related to chemistry education for students with hearing impairments, the use of blended learning approach or assistive technologies, and examination of the impact of intervention on learning or mental rotation. From among the 172 articles, after removing duplicates and reviewing titles and abstracts, 37 articles were selected for full-text review, and finally, 11 articles which met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Betten et al.'s checklist was used to assess article quality. Data regarding intervention methods, type of technology used, and results were extracted from the articles and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Findings: Qualitative content analysis of the articles revealed four main themes: Educational Challenges (with three sub-themes: difficulty understanding abstract concepts, communication limitations, and lack of appropriate educational resources, with a total frequency of 18 cases), Technology Benefits (with three sub-themes: improved content accessibility, increased interaction and participation, and opportunity for repetition and practice, with a total frequency of 21 cases), Instructional Design Considerations (with three sub-themes: use of visual elements, language simplification, and immediate feedback provision, with a total frequency of 22 cases), and Educational Needs (with three sub-themes: teacher training, specialized content production, and infrastructure improvement, with a total frequency of 20 cases). Results showed that the blended learning approach helped to improve learning through four main mechanisms: creating a multi-sensory learning environment, enabling deep content interaction, providing immediate feedback, and personalizing the learning path. Identified effective technologies included molecular simulation software, virtual reality environments, 3D visualization tools, and new game-based approaches such as block-based games and gamification methods.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that success in teaching chemistry to students with hearing impairments requires a systematic and multifaceted approach in which new technologies are intelligently integrated with traditional methods. For successful implementation of this approach, investment in three areas is essential: development of technological infrastructure, production of specialized educational content, and continuous teacher training. Recent advances in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and game-based approaches have created new opportunities for improving education, but their successful implementation requires attention to issues of accessibility, cost, and educational equity. The main limitations of the research included the small number of high-quality studies, limited sample size in some studies, and the geographic concentration of research in specific countries. It is suggested that future studies examine the long-term impact of educational interventions, the role of individual and environmental factors in the success of programs, and analyze the cost-effectiveness of different interventions.
Keywords
- Blended Learning
- Mental Rotation
- Students with Hearing Impairments
- Chemistry Education
- Assistive Technologies
Main Subjects
COPYRIGHTS
© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
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