Teaching pedagogies in Tanzanian inclusive educational settings: Do they respond to diverse needs? Voices from students with visual impairment

Abstract

Students' learning and participation in inclusive educational settings requires, among other things, teaching pedagogies that respond to students' diverse needs so as to benefit from the education provided. This study explored teaching pedagogies employed in Tanzanian inclusive educational settings across all educational levels, whether or not they respond to students' diverse needs, using voices of students with visual impairment (VI) in higher education institutions (HEIs). A total of 16 students with VI from two HEIs were involved in a semi-structured interview, with thematic analysis being used to evaluate the data. The teaching methods used in primary schools were found to be more responsive to the needs of students with VI, compared to secondary schools and HEIs. Similarly, more positive inclusive practices were reported in primary schools than in secondary and higher education settings, and more primary school teachers with neither inclusive nor special education training were reported to be supportive and considerate to the needs of students with VI, compared to their counterparts in advanced levels. Some negative inclusive practices were also reported which appear to have an impact on students' access to teachers' instructions and their participation in learning. The negative inclusive practices of teachers appear to originate from teachers' limited understanding of inclusion, negative attitudes towards students with special education needs and lack of support from school authorities. In this regard, school authorities and teachers need to transform school cultures, teaching pedagogies, and attitudes to respond to the diverse needs in inclusive educational settings.

Primary School Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices and Inclusive Education: A Case of Pupils with Moderate Deafblindness in Tanzania

“…Findings indicated that most primary school teachers lacked appropriate theoretical and practical knowledge and skills to design inclusive lessons, adapt the curriculum in terms of objectives, content, learning activities, learning materials, assessment and learning environment to cater for diverse learners' in Kenya, Chireshe (2013) in Zimbabwe, Dalton et al (2012) in South Africa who reported that majority of trained teachers lack knowledge and skills for handling learners with SENs in inclusive classrooms. Kisanga and Richards (2018) in Tanzania reported that teachers had inadequate knowledge and skills for implementing IE. Likewise, they did not modify the curriculum or use IEPs to meet the educational needs of pupils with disabilities.…”

“…More so, previous studies focused on secondary and higher education levels. Studies conducted in Tanzania concentrated on the general challenges facing the implementation of IE, focusing on students with intellectual, visual or hearing impairments (Cosmas 2016;Kisanga 2017;Kisanga and Richards 2018;Magige 2017;Ntiruka 2016). They fail to enlist particularly pedagogical practices in the inclusion of pupils with moderate deafblindness, which according to Herbster, (2015) and Wolsey (2017), empirical evidence is limited and scattered.…”

“…Despite the domestication of the international policies and legislations on IE in Tanzania, knowledge on implementation of IE in the classroom context is still limited (Kisanga 2017;Possi and Milinga 2017;Cosmas 2016). Thus, the need to explore the primary school teachers' pedagogical practices and how this may be an impediment to inclusive education, particularly for pupils with moderate deafblindness in Tanzania.…”

Provision of Necessary Teaching and Learning Needs for Improving Academic Performance of Students With Visual Impairment in Tanzania Inclusive Secondary Schools

“…The problem retards learning abilities of students with visual impairment by making them fail in inal examinations (Kisanga, 2019;POSSI & MILINGA, 2017). Moreover, such situation makes them remain marginalized in the education sector thereby preventing them from proceeding with further studies, competing effectively in the labour market, developing their independence for better living in future, and beneiting from other advantages of studying secondary education (King, 2014;Kisanga & Richards, 2018).…”

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

“…Consequently, student numbers in public schools have progressively increased. Previous studies [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] pointed out valuable guidelines for enhancing the learning environment to promote the inclusion of students who are with visual impairment. These guidelines can be summarized as follows:…”