Views of Teachers on the Provision of Education to Learners with Visual Impairment in an Inclusive Setting

Abstract

The study was focused on the views of teachers on the provision of education to learners with visual impairment in an inclusive setting. The main objectives of the study were : To determine the views of teachers on provision of education to learners with   visual impairment   in an inclusive setting and to determine ways of implementing the views of teachers  on the provision of education   to   learners with visual impairment under inclusive education.

The study was conducted in the two selected study special schools for the visually impaired in Northern Province of Zambia. These schools were selected because they had learners with visual impairment.

The study used qualitative research approach and data was collected using qualitative method. Thus the instrument for data collection was the structured interviews for teachers. The sample consisted of 20 teachers.

Basing on these empirical findings it was discovered that education was not fully provided in inclusive setting. This was due to; unmodified environment, lack of embossed teaching and learning materials, having few specialists, some teachers attitude towards learners with visual impairment were negative, some teachers did not use braille as a mode of communication, curriculum was not modified and adapted to learners needs, some learners were emotional and were not fully helped. However, learners benefited socially and some teachers used braille as mode of communication while teaching them and had positive attitude towards them.

The ways revealed from teachers for successful of education in  inclusive setting were the modification of environment, curriculum and adapt it to learners needs, the use of embossed materials, schools need to raise funds through various projects, use of tactile methods alongside  all other teaching methods, promotion of human rights for learners in order to make teachers compelled to have positive attitude towards them, to use school based training  and equip teachers with braille skills through workshops, Continuous Professional Development (CPD) meetings and by learning from each other, by helping learners to mature emotionally through such as counseling and use of role model and finally by considering their pace of learning.

It was concluded that educating learners with visual impairment under inclusive setting was partially implemented. The recommendation was that  ways revealed from teachers need to be implement  in order to realize full education provision to learners with visual impairment  in inclusive setting  in the two study special schools.

Key Words: Perception, Teachers, Visually Impaired, Continuous Professional Development  (CPD), Inclusive Education.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/15-2-05

Publication date: February 28th 2024