Academic Performance Impediments Among Students With Visual Impairment In Inclusive Secondary Schools In Tanzania

ABSTRACT

The study examined the academic performance impediments of students with visual

impairment in inclusive secondary schools in Tanzania. It specifically examined;

learning- teaching strategies and methods, teachers’ adaption of learning- teaching

resources and examination, the status of orientation and mobility, and finally it

established instructional leaders support to students with visual impairment. The

study was guided by the social model of disability.

The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The targeted population

included instructional leaders, teachers and students where the representative sample

of 484 participants was used. Data were obtained through questionnaires, interview,

documentary review, Focus Group Discussion and observation. Qualitative data

were thematically analysed and the founded sub-themes were embedded with

descriptive quantitative data analysed from Statistical Package of Social Sciences

(SPSS) version 21.

The major findings from the study indicate that, most of the learning- teaching

strategies and methods employed in inclusive secondary schools were not adapted

for students with visual impairment. In addition, there was inappropriate or no

adaptation of learning- teaching resources and examination towards the learning

style of those students. Furthermore, it was indicated that students with visual

impairment were receiving orientation and mobility services and instructional

leaders were not fully supporting those students appropriate learning- teaching

practices.

The study therefore, recommends that inclusive education should be incorporated in

the curriculum of general teachers’ education, collaboration among inclusive

education stakeholders should be improved. Furthermore, the government should

provide materials, funds and seminars to students, teachers and instructional leaders.