A qualitatively different experience. Mainstreaming pupils with a visual impairment in Northern Ireland
empfehlen| Titel: | A qualitatively different experience. Mainstreaming pupils with a visual impairment in Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Form: | Aufsatz / Artikel |
| Autor(en): | Colette Gray |
| Jahr: | 2009 |
| Anzahl Seiten: | 14 |
| Veröffentlicht in: | European Journal of Special Needs Education, Vol. 24, No.2 |
| Seite (von-bis): | 169-182 |
| Auszug: | "This paper reports the experiences of special education needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) on the inclusion of pupils with a visual impairment (VI) in mainstream schools in Northern Ireland. A mixed method approach (postal questionnaire survey (n=113) and interviews (n=6)) was utilised to triangulate the findings. The results indicate an inverse relationship between school years and pupil numbers, with negligible numbers of pupils with a VI reported in higher level examination classes. They also reveal that, for health and safety reasons and due to problems in accessing text books, some schools discourage pupils with a VI from studying subjects such as technology and design, physical education and mathematics. While pupils with a VI are thought to enjoy the social aspects of school life (e.g., peer friendships), less is known about their ability to access a number of areas within the school, including lunchtime clubs and the dinner hall. These findings raise questions about the qualitative nature of the educational experience afforded pupils with a VI." |