Comparing the Two Educational Systems for Visually Impaired Students in Sudan: Pros and Cons

Students with visual impairment in Sudan are usually accepted into residential segregated schools during their pre-high school years. This schooling system remains a subject of excessive debate among those interested in this field of study. This debate is part of an ongoing conversation and discussion on the merits and demerits of integrating disabled children with non-disabled peers at regular schools. This study aimed to answer three main questions pertaining to this subject. The first one tackles whether the placement of visually impaired students in specialized schools for the blind in Sudan (henceforth specialized schools) serves their education best. The second compares the advantages and disadvantages of integrating this group of students into regular schools as opposed to separating them into specialized schools. The third question is concerned with the competencies which the teachers at the Sudanese General Basic School should have in order to fulfill the requirements of the inclusive education setting. Interviews were conducted with a group of 20 participants; 10 of these were students who joined schools for the blind and regular schools in Sudan, while the remaining participants were teachers and personnel in the field of education for the visually impaired in Sudan. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data, which revealed that students with visual impairment, teachers who work in specialized schools, and the group of special education officials who participated in this study were in favor of inclusive education at regular schools after securing the necessary educational needs for these students to access school curricula equal to their sighted peers. Many practical solutions and suggestions have been presented to enhance the education of the visually impaired in Sudan.

Tactile Materials in Practice: Understanding the Experiences of Teachers of the Visually Impaired

Teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs) regularly present tactile materials (tactile graphics, 3D models, and real objects) to students with vision impairments. Researchers have been increasingly interested in designing tools to support the use of tactile materials, but we still lack an in-depth understanding of how tactile materials are created and used in practice today. To address this gap, we conducted interviews with 21 TVIs and a 3-week diary study with eight of them. We found that tactile materials were regularly used for academic as well as non-academic concepts like tactile literacy, motor ability, and spatial awareness. Real objects and 3D models served as “stepping stones” to tactile graphics and our participants preferred to teach with 3D models, despite finding them difficult to create, obtain, and modify. Use of certain materials also carried social implications; participants selected materials that fostered student independence and allow classroom inclusion. We contribute design considerations, encouraging future work on tactile materials to enable student and TVI co-creation, facilitate rapid prototyping, and promote movement and spatial awareness. To support future research in this area, our paper provides a fundamental understanding of current practices. We bridge these practices to established pedagogical approaches and highlight opportunities for growth regarding this important genre of educational materials.

Inclusive classroom interaction in lower secondary education

Following the German parliament’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008, inclusive pedagogy has become increasingly relevant for educational science and educational policy. Empirical studies of classes which combine students with and without visual impairment mainly focus on questions of performance and well-being, while not directly examining classroom interactions. Our research seeks to address this notable lack of in-situ studies, using a selected case as an example and illustrating the potential of such an approach through reconstructing the contradictory expectations of inclusive teaching as a specific conflict of norms. This approach ought to demonstrate the potential insights to be gained by reconstructing and interpreting relevant communicative processes of meaning-construction. Based on transcribed interactions in an inclusive fifth-grade class, we interpret the scene of classroom instruction with regard to the normative conflict between the egalitarian promise of participation and a non-egalitarian focus on performance. Adopting a methodology of second-order observation, as outlined in Systems Theory, allows us to conduct an analysis of normativity in order to understand which norms prevail in interactions with students with and without visual impairment. At the center of the analysis is not only the common discrepancy between an inclusive school’s policy and its interactive implementation. Rather, our interpretations also show how the ableist norm of performance is navigated and negotiated among all participants in classroom communication and how the multitude of norms and expectations surrounding inclusive teaching come into conflict, that is, in the paradoxical structural tension between the operational necessity of establishing a separation between students and the policy imperative of decategorization.

Examining peer support arrangements for students with visual impairment

Students with visual impairment (VI) often have limited social interactions in inclusive classroom settings. This study used a multiple-probe-across-participants design to evaluate the impact of peer support arrangements on the social interactions of three students with VI in general education classes. Students experienced higher levels of peer interaction while participating in peer support arrangements while maintaining high levels of academic engagement during the intervention. Most students and teachers reported that peer support arrangements provided positive experiences, resulted in multiple benefits, and could be implemented feasibly and acceptably in inclusive classrooms. We offer recommendations for research and practice aimed at enhancing the quality of inclusive experiences for students with VI.

A Systematic Review on Inclusive Education of Students with Visual Impairment

This was a systematic review on the inclusive education of students with visual impairment. This study focused on two of the most addressed topics: the perceptions of general education teachers and challenges faced by students with visual impairment in accessing academic subjects. It synthesized the findings of 18 peer-reviewed articles published in English from 1980 to 2020. General education teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of students with visual impairment were both positive and negative and were influenced by teacher-, student-, and environment-related factors. Feeling unprepared, one of the main teacher-related factors, seemed to have a great effect. In terms of access to academic subjects, the most discussed subjects were Mathematics, Science, and Physical Education. Although students with visual impairment seemed to be studying at or above their grade level, their exclusion from participation in classroom activities was apparent. Unfortunately, these challenges lead to short- and long-term consequences. Key elements in increasing accessibility to subjects were: general education teachers possessing a generic set of effective pedagogical strategies, effective teaching-learning tools, and external support. The importance of teacher training and a holistic support system were emphasized.

Effectiveness of a serious game on the self-concept of children with visual impairments: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Young children with visual impairments (VIs) are at high risk for mental disorders, due to victimization and subsequent social withdrawal. Children with VIs have been shown to have a poorer self-concept and lower general psychosocial well-being compared with peers without VIs.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a serious game to improve psychosocial outcomes in children with VIs.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the computer game See for children with VIs. The game was developed based on rational-emotive behavioral therapy principles, with the aim of addressing self-concept (academic, social, and general), psychosocial well-being (social inclusion, exclusion, and emotions), and coping strategies (approach, avoidance). Sixty-four children aged 6-8 years were randomized to the intervention group, who played the game, or a control group, who received care-as-usual (CAU).

RESULTS

Our results showed that children with VIs who played the serious game scored significantly higher on academic self-concept and social inclusion compared with the control group. Furthermore, children rated the game positively, suggesting the desirability, validity, and feasibility of the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

The results provide preliminary evidence that a serious game can enhance psychosocial outcomes in children with VIs. This approach might also promote positive educational outcomes, such as academic achievement, and reduce the stigma of therapy for children with VIs. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Developing an autonomous-support culture in higher education for disabled students

Inclusive practices have enhanced opportunities for many disabled people to engage in Higher Education; however, although support services that are central to success are increasing they are still intermittent and atomistic. Poor continuity of support is a systemic problem, particularly for students who engage in offsite placements where organisational structures do not adopt a student-centred approach. UK Universities require students to opt-into programmes of support that may necessitate rigorous paper work and labelling processes that may disempower students. Such models of support deter students from disclosing a disability and accessing relevant resources and support in a timely manner. This paper argues that using Self Determination Theory, HE Institutions can develop bespoke models of support, which will enable disabled students to utilize their autonomy agency and capabilities. This approach provides students with the requisite tools needed to take responsibility for their own learning and seek appropriate and timely support when needed.

Self-concept of adolescents with visual impairments

An account is given of a current research project which is examining the impact of social inclusion on the self-concept of adolescents with visual impairments and the way this differs from their typically developing sighted peers. The study considers developmental and cognitive theories which are used to explain the development of self-concept in typical and atypical adolescents and the impact of social inclusion on this particular aspect of mental health.

Exploring the lived experience of acquiring life skills with congenital total blindness: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

This phenomenological study explored how individual young adults understood their lived experience of acquiring life skills with congenital total blindness (CTB). Four young adults with CTB, and five parents of the young adults, participated in the study. In depth, semi-structured interviews were used to gather information from the research participants. The interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Five superordinate themes emerged from the IPA: (1) life skills acquisition as ‘a means to an end’, (2) appraising life skills acquisition, (3) acquiring disability-specific skills, (4) reaching adulthood with life skill gaps, and (5) making sense of independence. The findings revealed that the young adults had reached adulthood with significant gaps in their acquisition of basic life skills. This indicates that more needs to be done, to improve the efficacy and meaning of life skill acquisition programmes provided in childhood and adolescence, to young people living with CTB.