A study to understand the inclusion of learners with and without visual impairment in a secondary school in Lesotho

Abstract

The study reported on here was conducted to investigate the perceptions of 8 learners in a secondary school in the Maseru district of Lesotho about inclusive education as it relates to learners with visual impairment. This school had integrated children with visual impairment. The study was conducted using a qualitative research approach, and a case study format was adopted. Eight participants (aged 16–23; 5 girls and 3 boys) participated in the study. Two focus groups were formed: one comprised 4 learners without visual impairment, and another 4 learners with visual impairment. Focus-group discussions were followed up with individual interviews. The results reveal that learners (with and without visual impairment) had mixed opinions about the integration of learners with visual impairment in their mainstream school. On the one hand they pointed out that inadequate resources and the unwelcoming infrastructure of their school discouraged this integration. Those with visual impairment also pointed to their exclusion from sports activities by their peers, as well as the occasional use of exclusionary language by some of their teachers, as indicating that special schools were better places for them. On the other hand, the learners stated some of the benefits of including learners with visual impairment in their school. These included enabling peer tutoring, peer consultations, and a slower pace of teaching. Learners with visual impairment also stated that inclusion had improved their social life, by enabling them to learn better ways of living with people without visual impairment. Based on these benefits, learners welcomed the inclusion of those with visual impairment in mainstream schools.

Challenges School Management Experience with Inclusion of Learners with Visual Impairments: A Case of a Secondary School in Namibia

“…The literature showed similar results to the responses from members of the management supported by the observation, which revealed that the physical environment of the school is not friendly to learners with visual impairments (Morelle & Tabane, 2019; Ralejoe, 2021Ralejoe, , 2019. The participants have cited problems such as the high corridors or "stoep", with no protective metals or bars on the sides, the steep stairs and the steps, stagnant sewerage water ablution facilities, and the rough-bricks buildings (see Figure 1).…”

“…The research observation found that the school library, although well-resourced for the ordinary learners, lacked sufficient resources from which learners with severe visual impairments could benefit maximally. This supports Ralejoe (2021), who argues that learners with visual impairments have inadequate resources at their disposal that impedes effective and quality teaching and learning. The lack of adequate resources for learners with severe visual impairments in the library impacts the learning.…”

“…Contrary to the positive attitudes, the findings of this study have provided some evidence that there were negative perceptions shown by teachers or managers regarding the inclusion of learners with visual impairments in a mainstream school setting. However, Ralejoe (2021) argues that learners without visual impairments possess mixed opinions about inclusion of learners with visual impairment in a regular school. The responses imply that teachers who hold negative attitudes towards the inclusion of learners with visual impairments seem to lack adequate skills to support learners with visual impairments.…”

“…Management should address this attitude by designing workshops to address attitudinal barriers and enhance the skills to teach inclusive class groups and address the problem. Teachers' reluctance to adapt the curriculum may be because of inadequate skills (Ralejoe, 2021). Management is challenged by the lack of capacity which may affect teachers' inputs and quality teaching of learners, particularly those that have visual disabilities.…”

“…Unlike in the past when learners with severe to profound visual impairments would not have an opportunity to proceed to senior secondary school phase, and consequently to higher education, this inclusive practice offered an opportunity for them to proceed with their education up to higher education level. Learners with visual impairments shared the same classrooms with learners without visual impairments and their teachers were expected to render the necessary support they would need, with additional support of a resource teacher, in order to access all teaching and learning services (Asamoah et al, 2018;Josua, 2013;Korir, 2015;Ralejoe, 2021). The school management had the responsibility to oversee this process.…”