Information and Communication Technology (ICT): it’s use in teaching students with low vision in secondary

Abstract

The advancement in technology has revolved the teaching process world over making ICT one of the essential pedagogical tools for enhancing teaching for ‘All’. There has been a gap between ICT as a subject and integrating adapted ICT resources as a pedagogical tool to enhance teaching across all disciplines for Students with Low Vision (SWLV). This study, therefore, examined the use of ICT in teaching SWLV in Secondary Schools in Mukono District, Uganda. The study was guided by objectives, namely; the nature of ICT resources; teacher preparation in ICT and the use of ICT in teaching SWLV. The study was guided by Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) model as a theoretical framework to try and understand how ICT resources are used in teaching SWLV. A case study design of the qualitative approach was used. The target population for this study was the Secondary Schools teachers and SWLV who were purposefully selected to participate. The semi-structured interviews and observation methods were utilized in collecting the data. The data obtained were thematically analysed to derive meaning from them. The findings revealed that Secondary Schools barely had low-tech ICT resources while high-tech ICT resources were available but inadequate. The teachers had generic basic informal ICT training without specific training in adapting and integrating ICT resources in teaching SWLV while ICT is minimally utilized during the teaching process while science-based subjects were challenging to use ICT resources as a teaching tool and the biggest obstacle towards adapting ICT resources to teach SWLV is lack of sufficient specific training. The study concluded that schools had inadequate appropriate ICT resources for teaching SWLV; teachers were not adequately prepared to use ICT as a pedagogical tool while the level of ICT integration in teaching remains at an initial stage in Secondary Schools. The study, therefore, recommends that more appropriate ICT resources for SWLV be made available in Secondary Schools by the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and other stakeholders. In addition, more in-service and preservice training opportunities for teachers in adapting and integrating ICT to teach SWLV should be accorded while collaborative practice between Secondary Schools should be encouraged.