Access to career guidance through information and communication technology by learners with visual impairments in selected secondary schools of Zambia

Abstract

The tenacity of the study was to establish why learners with visual impairments in selected secondary schools of Zambia were more braille inclined in Accessing Career Guidance than through Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Objectives that guided the study were to; establish why learners with visual impairments were more braille inclined in Accessing Career Guidance than through ICT. Explore how accessible career guidance through ICT was among learners with visual impairments. Examine factors that might have influenced access to career guidance through ICT among learners with visual impairments. UTAUT theory guided this study. A descriptive case study design was used in analysing, presenting and discussing the findings. The population was all pupils with visual impairments and their teachers in selected schools, while the sample size was fifty-two (52) segmented as fourty (40) pupils, four (4) head teachers, four (4) career guidance teachers and four (4) grade teachers. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants of the study. Interviews and focused Group discussions were the methods of data collection. The study revealed that due to inadequate or non-availability of ICT facilities, learners with visual impairments did not have access to career information through ICT. There was also inadequate ICT trained teachers, facilities and ICT unclear policy which contributed to learners being more braille inclined than ICT. Instead, learners accessed career information through braille and word of mouth only. For these reasons learners with visual impairments did not often participate in ICT related learning activities and examinations consequently, restricted in their career choices. The study therefore, recommended that the Ministry of General Education through schools should supply ICT facilities, train teachers in ICT, formulate a clear policy on ICT for learners with visual impairments and Examination Council of Zambia (ECZ) should introduce practicals in ICT examination for the visually impaired learners.