Assistive technology use in teaching mathematics to students with visual impairment in two selected secondary schools in eastern Uganda

Abstract

Technology advancement has become inevitable in the teaching process world over. Educational institutions across the world have enormously invested in technology to enhance teaching. Despite such enormous investment, the majority of teachers are not using ATs for teaching. Moreover, there are limited studies that demonstrate the importance of ATs in teaching SwVI. Hence this study explored the use of ATs in teaching Mathematics to SwVI in two selected secondary schools in Eastern Uganda. It was guided by three objectives namely; (i) To establish the ATs available for teaching Mathematics to SwVI in two selected secondary schools in Eastern Uganda; (ii) To examine the training undergone by teachers to enable them to use ATs to teach Mathematics to SwVI in two selected secondary schools in Eastern Uganda; and (iii) To explore how ATs are used to teach Mathematics to SwVI in two selected secondary schools in Eastern Uganda. It was hoped that the findings of the study would help various stakeholders recognize the necessity for using ATs in schools. Locating the study in Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) as a theoretical framework to enhance an understanding of the use of ATs in teaching mathematics to SWLV, the researcher adopted a qualitative research approach and a case study design to execute the research. Qualitative data for the study was collected from a sample of eight that was purposively selected. Data was collected using two methods namely: semi-structured interviews and observations. The data collected was thematically analysed to derive meaning from them. The findings from the study revealed that Secondary Schools in Eastern Uganda had a few low-tech and high-tech ATs for teaching mathematics to SwVI, the teachers had general informal training with barely formal training which posed a major challenge on the use of ATs to teach mathematics to SwVI. There was use of ATs observed during the teaching of mathematics to SwVI to a lesser extent because of the informal training attained by teachers. The study concluded that secondary schools had inadequate ATs for teaching mathematics to SwVI; teachers were not adequately trained to use ATs as a pedagogical tool to teach mathematics to SwVI while the level of ATs use in teaching mathematics to SwVI remains wanting in Secondary Schools. The study recommended that more appropriate low-tech and high-tech ATs for teaching mathematics to SwVI be procured and supplied to secondary schools by the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), NGOs and other stakeholders. It further recommended that the government through MoES and school administrators should offer opportunities to teachers in Secondary Schools to go for in-service and pre-service training on the use of ATs to teach mathematics to SwVI. Additionally, MoES and school administrators should offer the opportunity for more in-service and preservice training for teachers on the use, repair and maintenance of ATs for teaching mathematics to SwVI.