Educational and psychosocial challenges of visual impaired students in integrated School∶ the case of Minilik II Primary School.
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Date
2014-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study was designed to assess the challenges of educational and psychosocial
towards the integration of visually-impaired students by employing purposive sampling
techniques method .
To achieve the purpose of the study, the main target group is 40 grades 5 up to 8 visual-
impaired students, 20 regular class teachers,5 parents and 2 principals (a total of 67,
m=30,F=37 participants), were included in the study. The participants were selected
purposely from Governmental Primary School (Menelik-Il School in Addis Ababa)
The relation of some demographic variables to that of educational and psychosocial
challenges towards integration was also examined by using multiple regression and
correlation analysis.
A Five-point educational and psychosocial challenges rating scale questionnaire
consisting of 20 items ,a three point social skill rating scale questionnaire consisting of 17
items and an interview questions had been used to collect the data. Depending upon the
nature of the data collected, both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in
the analysis of the collected data.
The findings have shown that the majority of visual-impaired students (95%) has shown
less access towards educational and psychosocial relation in an integrated class room.
The study has also confirmed that there was no smooth relationship between visually
impaired and regular class students and also there is inadequacies instructional material
.The major perceived factors to disfavor integration were related to accessing
instructional material problem, the participants self confidence in the school and to
feeling of incompetence in facing challenges that may be encountered in the integration
process.
The relation of some demographic variables (age, sex and grade level) to the challenges
towards integration was not statistically significant in case of visual- impairment and
regular class students. However, the overall contribution of the independent variables to
the challenges towards integration was statistically significant in case of visually
impaired students.
Generally, the result suggests that effective measures need to be taken to reduce barriers
towards integration by accessing an inclusive instructional material and establishing a
harmonious relationship between and among teachers and students also policy makers.
Further research is also required to fill the gap between visually impaired students
towards integration.
Some recommendations were made based on the findings particularly in relation to the
active role the government and NGOs have to play. The study gives a direction on
priority areas of interventions such as introducing and providing appropriate new
technologies, developing self reliance in order to improve situations of with visual
impairment
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Keywords
The case of Minilik ii Primary School.