Analysis of teaching and learning processes of students with visual impairment in inclusive secondary school classrooms in Ilala municipality, Dar es Salaam

This study investigated teaching and learning processes of students with visual impairment in inclusive classrooms in Ilala municipality, Dar es Salaam region. Specifically the study intended to explore the teaching and learning methods employed, the nature of teacher-students interaction during teaching and learning, teaching and learning equipments and their contribution to academic achievement. Purposive sampling method was used to select 70 respondents, comprising of District Education Officer (Academics), heads of schools, heads of departments of special education and students with and without disabilities. Data were collected through interviews, observations, focus group discussion and documentary reviews. Data were analysed through quantitative and qualitative approaches. The findings revealed that there was poor usage of appropriate teaching and learning methods which leads to poor academic achievement for students with visual impairment in inclusive schools. Poor usage of appropriate teaching and learning methods was largely associated with an acute shortage of the teaching and learning materials in all schools studied. The study also found that there was acute shortage of special equipment in those schools that affected learning activities of the visually impaired students. Concerning teachers teaching the visual impaired students, a great number of teachers had not received specialized training on the teaching of visual impaired students, hence affected interaction among them. While inclusive education programme was being affected by the above reasons, inadequate teaching and learning materials and facilities to support students with impairment were major hindrances to poor performance of visually impaired students in inclusive schools. The study concluded that, children with disabilities in inclusive education were not yet enjoying equal learning opportunities. The study recommended that teachers in inclusive schools need to be equipped with pre-service and in service training on special needs education, class size to be not more than 35 students so as to simplify the teaching learning process, specific budget to be set aside or should be improved by the government to enable inclusive education to overwhelm. More over similar studies should be done for wider coverage and meaningful generalizations.