Stakeholders’ perceptions on assessment practices for students with visual impairment: a case of a public university in Tanzania.
Date
2023
Authors
Lawi, Chiza
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Both lecturers and students rely on educational assessment to reflect and adjust the progress of teaching and learning process, without it the process would never be complete. This study, being guided by the connectionism theory by Thorndike, sought to explore the stakeholders’ perceptions on assessment practices for students with visual impairment (SwVI) in one Tanzanian Public University. The study was guided by three objectives: to explore methods used to assess learning of SwVI, interrogate the suitability of the assessment practices used by lecturers for SwVI and to establish lecturers’ experiences of assessing learning of SwVI in higher learning institutions in Tanzania. Data was analysed qualitatively under an intrinsic case study design. The study sample comprised seven lecturers, one transcriber and twelve SwVI making up the total of twenty participants who were purposively sampled. Data were generated through interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis and analysed thematically. The study revealed that SwVI undertook the same assessment tasks like their peers without visual impairment, although their tasks were subjected to adaptations where necessary to meet their educational needs. This enhanced equity and fairness in performing assessment tasks since SwVI had equal playing ground as their peers. Furthermore, the findings revealed mixed perceptions of participants on the suitability of assessment practices in that some were satisfied with assessment practices used while others expressed their dissatisfaction on the same. This suggests that SwVI are unique beings who deserve to be served in the assessment process based on their individual educational needs. Additionally, it was revealed that lecturers and braille transcribers used their own experiences to serve SwVI in the assessment process since the university had no policy or guidelines on disability which specifically described on how SwVI should be assessed. This resulted to many challenges and inconsistencies faced in the assessment process for SwVI. It could equally be concluded that SwVI are not similar, each student with visual impairment is unique and different from the other, and thus a one-size-fits-all approach is not applicable when administering assessment tasks to them. Arising from the findings, it was recommended that the university under study should develop a policy on disability which should elaborately describe how SwVI should be assessed. Additionally, studies should be conducted to investigate further the stakeholders’ perceptions on assessment practices for other categories of disability like hearing impairments, specific learning disabilities, autism and so forth in different levels of education.
Key words: Assessment practices, adaptation, impairment, inclusive education, visual impairment
Description
Thesis of Master of Education in Special Education.