An analysis of sighted students’ prosocial behaviour in Tanzanian inclusive secondary schools: a case study of Iringa municipality

This study sought to analyse the sighted students’ prosocial behaviour towards assisting their peers with visual impairment (VI) in inclusive secondary schools in Iringa Municipality, Tanzania. The specific objectives of the study were to: evaluate forms of prosocial behaviour displayed by sighted students in inclusive secondary school settings; assess factors leading to sighted students’ prosocial behaviour towards assisting their peers with VI in inclusive secondary school settings; to examine the strategies used to promote prosocial behaviour of sighted students towards assisting their peers with VI in inclusive secondary school settings; and analyse the self-esteem of students with VI in inclusive secondary school settings. A mixed approach was used in this study. An embedded single case study design which involved 76 respondents was used to obtain the required data. Teachers, students with VI and sighted students were used as units of analysis. Interviews, focus group discussions, observation and questionnaires were used to collect data. The qualitative data were analysed in accordance with Braun and Clarke’s (2006) phases of thematic analysis namely; familiarizing with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes and producing the report. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 aided the analysis of quantitative data to determine frequencies and percentages. The study found that, friendships, cooperation and sharing of materials and academic issues between sighted students and those with VI. The study also revealed that sighted students assisted their peers with VI in the school as a result of altruism, egoism, positive attitude, and the influence religion and school administration. It was also found that similarity between sighted students and those with VI in terms of disability and mode of schooling were linked to sighted students’ prosocial behaviour. Sighted students’ attributions, the kind of costs incurred, and misunderstandings among students also determined their prosocial behaviour towards assisting their peers with VI. The study concludes that much needs to be done in order to make more sighted day-students obliged to assisting their peers with VI. It is recommended that there should be both school based awareness raising and prosociality promoting programmes for enabling sighted day-students to assist those with VI. The study also recommends that deliberate means to recognize sighted students’ roles in assisting students with VI should be taken. It is further recommended that a similar study be conducted in co-education schools for boys and girls with VI. Lastly, a multiple embedded case study should be done covering more inclusive secondary schools for analytical generalization purposes.