International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 3 (5), pp. 307-311, July, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Impediments and strategies of working with learners with low vision: Implications for teacher training

*Joseph J. Dida, Sospeter E. Mwaura and Daniel Kagwanja

Department of Educational Psychology, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya.

*Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 12 June, 2015

Abstract

Learners with low vision can be trained to increase their visual functioning through a planned programme of visual experiences. Such a low vision training programme was introduced in Kenya in 1994. However, despite its implementation over the last fifteen years, challenges still persist among teachers who work with such learners. The purpose of this study was to document challenges that learners with low vision have on teacher performance when teaching learners with low vision in special primary schools for the visually impaired in Kenya. The study was carried out in six schools for the visually impaired. Participants in the study were 78 teachers. Survey design was used to gather data. The study established challenges faced by teachers as lack of appropriate devices for learners, lack of adequate training of teachers and lack of regular teacher auditing. Strategies suggested to address the challenges were supply of low vision devices, low vision teams based at each school be reconstituted to provide co-ordinated learning support and regular case conferencing be mounted to provide teacher support.