Opportunity to learn Mathematics : the case of visually impaired secondary school students in Zimbabwe
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Authors
Madungwe, Louise Stanley
Issue Date
2018-04
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Visually impaired , Opportunity to learn , Braille , Secondary school students , Mathematics , Resource teacher , Itinerant teacher , Special needs education
Alternative Title
Abstract
The study examined the opportunities to learn Mathematics that are accorded to secondary school students with visual impairment in Zimbabwe. The study focused on form one and form two students who are completely without sight, but are learning in inclusive settings, together with their Mathematics teachers. The study examined how teachers interacted with the subject matter, how the teachers interacted with the visually impaired students and how these students interacted with partially sighted students in the teaching and learning process. The study adopted the case study approach under the qualitative inquiry. Data was collected using document analysis, lesson observations, personal interviews with teachers and focus group interviews with students who were purposive sampled. The study established that visually impaired students were not accorded adequate opportunities to learn mathematics at secondary level. The reasons for this deficit are (1) visually impaired students learnt the same curriculum as sighted students when they could not access some topics on the syllabus, (2) the teachers were professionally qualified but they lacked the necessary specialist training for teaching students without sight, (3) teachers used the same teaching methods as those used with sighted students, (4) a lot of time was spent on task though not much ground was covered, (5) the schools were not adequately resourced with appropriate teaching and learning materials for use by visually impaired students, culminating in lost opportunities to learn mathematics. The study recommends that appropriately qualified teachers be deployed to teach at schools for the visually impaired, that all secondary teachers learn the basic modules in Special Needs Education during training. The study also recommends for the government to assist the schools for the visually impaired students to import the much needed teaching and learning equipment. The study has provided some knowledge about the learning of mathematics by visually impaired students in Zimbabwe in the areas of lesson delivery, materials provision, and programme adjustments at secondary teacher training colleges and universities. It has also provided curriculum planners with an insight on the prevailing situation with regard to the teaching and learning of mathematics by visually impaired students. This knowledge could be used when formulating future mathematics curriculum and training policies to do with non-sighted students in Zimbabwe and other countries in Africa.
Description
Citation
Madungwe, Louise Stanley (2018) Opportunity to learn Mathematics : the case of visually impaired secondary school students in Zimbabwe, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/25011>