Learning mathematics in inclusive classrooms: cases of visually impaired learners in Lesotho secondary schools

Abstract

Hierdie studie het gepoog om vas te stel hoe wiskunde in klaskamers met gesiggestremde leerders onderrig word. Dit ondersoek ook hoe leerders met gesiggestremdheid die onderrig van wiskunde in geselekteerde skole van Lesotho ervaar en daarby betrokke raak. Die raamwerk van geleenthede om te leer (OTL) word as die belangrikste teoretiese hulpbron gebruik. OTL word gebruik as ’n lens waardeur toestande wat doeltreffende onderrig en leer van wiskunde fasiliteer, verstaan ​​kan word. OTL word as vindingryk beskou om te verstaan ​​wat as geldige ervarings van leerders met gesiggestremdheid tel. Die studie volg ’n kwalitatiewe benadering en gebruik gevallestudie-ontwerp. Die hoof databronne bestaan ​​uit narratiewe van drie leerders wat doelbewus in twee skole geselekteer is, asook leswaarnemings. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met onderwysers word vir triangulasie gebruik. Inhoud-analise is gebruik vir die ontleding van die data wat hoofsaaklik uit die transkripsies onttrek is. Die belangrikste bevindinge dui daarop dat wiskunde-onderrig hoofsaaklik deur middel van verbale aanbieding en die gebruik van skryfborde uitgevoer is. Die bevindinge het aan die lig gebring dat daar die minimum geleenthede was vir leerders met gesiggestremdheid om in Lesotho se gewone klaskamers te leer. Leerders het tot ’n sekere mate in hul leer van wiskunde, geleenthede om te leer gereguleer deur te kies wat hulle kan bevoordeel. Die bevindinge toon ook dat faktore wat bydra tot hoe leerders die onderrig van wiskunde in inklusiewe omgewings waarneem en daarby betrokke raak, die volgende insluit: beperkte voorsiening en skaarsheid van handboeke, wat lei tot afhanklikheid van hul eweknieë met funksionele visie om vir hulle te lees; onvoldoende voorsiening van noodsaaklike toerusting; ondoeltreffende gebruik van bystandstegnologie-toestelle, wat eindelik laat vaar word. Hierdie studie beveel kapasiteitsbou van wiskunde-onderwysers aan deur middel van ’n intensiewe voordiens- en indiensprogram om hulle in staat te stel om die toepaslike vaardighede te verwerf, wat sal voldoen aan die eise van wiskundeonderrig aan leerders met gesiggestremdheid in inklusiewe omgewings. Die studie beveel aan die verskaffing van leermateriaal aan leerders met gesiggestremdheid in toeganklike formaat om hul onafhanklike leer te bevorder sonder om samewerking ​​met hul siende eweknieë te inhibeer. Die studie beveel toekomstige studies aan om die omvang van die studie uit te brei deur die steekproefgrootte te vergroot en ook om onderwysers se perspektiewe van die onderrig van wiskunde aan leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes in inklusiewe skole, met gebrekkige hulpbronne te bepaal.

This study sought to establish how mathematics is taught in classrooms with visually impaired learners. It also examines how learners with visual impairment perceive and engage with the teaching of mathematics in selected schools of Lesotho. The framework of opportunities to learn (OTL) is used as the main theoretical resource. OTL is used as a lens through which conditions that facilitate effective teaching and learning of mathematics can be understood. OTL is considered resourceful for understanding what counts as valid experiences of learners with visual impairment. The study follows a qualitative approach and employs case study design. The main data sources comprise narratives of three learners purposively selected in two schools as well as lesson observations. Semi-structured interviews with teachers are used for triangulation. Content analysis was used for analysing the data mainly extracted from the transcripts. The major findings suggest that mathematics teaching was predominantly conducted through verbal presentation and chalkboard use. The findings revealed that there were minimum opportunities to learn for learners with visual impairment in Lesotho regular classrooms. To a certain extent, learners regulated opportunities to learn in their learning of mathematics by choosing what can benefit them. The findings also demonstrate that factors contributing towards how learners perceive and engage with the teaching of mathematics in inclusive settings include: restrictive provision and scarcity of textbooks, resulting in their dependence on their counterparts with functional vision to read for them; inadequate supply of essential equipment, ineffective use of assistive technology devices leading to their abandonment. This study recommends capacity building of mathematics teachers, through an intensive pre-service and in-service programmes to enable them to gain the appropriate skills that would meet the demands of teaching mathematics to learners with visual impairment in inclusive settings. The study recommends the provision of learning materials in accessible formats to learners with visual impairment to promote their independent learning without inhibiting coexistence with their sighted counterparts. The study recommends future studies to extend the scope of the study by increasing the sample size and also find out teachers’ perspectives of teaching mathematics to learners with special educational needs in under-resourced inclusive schools.

Lolu cwaningo belufuna ukuthola ukuthi izibalo zifundiswa kanjani emakilasini anabafundi abangaboni kahle. Luphinde luhlole ukuthi abafundi abanenkinga yokubona bakuthatha kanjani futhi bazibandakanye kanjani nokufundiswa kwezibalo ezikoleni ezikhethiwe zaseLesotho. Uhlaka lwamathuba okufunda (OTL) lusetshenziswa njengensiza yenjululwazi eyinhloko. I-OTL isetshenziswa njengeso okungaqondwa ngalo izimo ezisiza ukuthi ukufundisa nokufunda izibalo kube impumelelo. I-OTL ithathwa njengehlakaniphile ekuqondeni lokho okubalulekile njengesipiliyoni esivumelekile sabafundi abangaboni kahle. Ucwaningo lulandela indlela yekhwalithethivu futhi lusebenzisa indlela yokucwaninga isimo. Imithombo yolwazi eyinhloko ihlanganisa ukulandisa kwabafundi abathathu abakhethwe ngenhloso ezikoleni ezimbili kanye nokuqaphela isifundo. Izingxoxo ezihleliwe nothisha zisetshenziselwa ukungena phakathi kwababili. Ukuhlaziywa kokuqukethwe kusetshenziswe ekuhlaziyeni ulwazi oluthathwe emibhalweni. Okutholakele okukhulu kuveza ukuthi ukufundisa izibalo kwakwenziwa kakhulukazi ngokwethulwa ngomlomo nangokusetshenziswa kwebhodi likashokhi. Okutholakele kuveze ukuthi mancane amathuba okufunda kubafundi abangaboni kahle emakilasini ajwayelekile eLesotho. Ngokwezinga elithile, abafundi balawula amathuba okufunda ekufundeni kwabo izibalo ngokukhetha okungabasiza. Okutholakele futhi kukhombisa ukuthi izici ezinomthelela endleleni abafundi abathatha ngayo futhi nabazibandakanya ngayo ekufundisweni kwezibalo ezindaweni ezibandakanya wonke umuntu kubandakanya: ukuhlinzekwa okunemingcele kanye nokushoda kwezincwadi zokufunda, okuholela ekwethembeleni kwabo kozakwabo ababona kahle ukuthi babafundele; ukutholakala okunganele kwezinto zokusebenza ezibalulekile, ukusetshenziswa ngendlela engeyona impumelelo kwemishini yokusiza eholela ekuyekeni ukuyisebenzisa. Lolu cwaningo luncoma ukukhuliswa kwamakhono kothisha bezibalo, ngokusebenzisa izinhlelo ezijulile zokuqeqeshelwa umsebenzi kanye nokuthwasela umsebenzi ukuze bakwazi ukuthola amakhono afanele azohlangabezana nezidingo zokufundisa izibalo kubafundi abangaboni kahle ezindaweni ezibandakanya bonke abafundi. Ucwaningo luncoma ukuhlinzekwa kwezinsiza zokufunda ngendlela efinyelelekayo kubafundi abangaboni kahle ukuze bakhuthaze ukufunda kwabo ngokuzimela ngaphandle kokuvimbela ukuhlalisana nozakwabo ababonayo. Ucwaningo luncoma izifundo zesikhathi esizayo ukuba zandise ububanzi bocwaningo ngokwandisa usayizi wesampula kanye nokuthola imibono yothisha yokufundisa izibalo kubafundi abanezidingo zemfundo ezikhethekile ezikoleni ezibandakanya wonke umuntu ezingenazo izinsizakusebenza.

Diphuputso tsena di leka ho fumana hore na thuto ya Mmetse e rutwa jwang ka tlelaseng ho barutwana ba sa boneng hantle. E boetse e hlahloba kamoo barutwana ba nang le bokowa ba pono ba utlwisisang thuto ya Mmetse ka teng le kamoo ba e sebedisang ka teng dikolong tse kgethilweng tsa Lesotho. Moralo wa menyetla ya ho ithuta (OTL) ke sesebediswa se sebediswang e le mohlodi o ka sehloohong wa thuto. OTL e sebediswa e le lense eo ka yona maemo a thusang ho ruta le ho ithuta dipalo ka katleho a ka utlwisiswang ka teng. OTL e nkwa e le molemo bakeng sa ho utlwisisa boiphihlelo ba barutwana ba nang le bokowa ba pono ka nepo. Diphuputso tsena di latela mokgwa wa boleng mme di sebedisa mokgwa wa ho ithuta dinyewe. Mehlodi e meholo ya boitsebiso ke ditlaleho tsa baithuti ba bararo ba kgethilweng ka boomo dikolong tse pedi hammoho le ho lebela dithuto. Dipuisano tse hlophisitsweng hantle le matitjhere di sebedisetswa ho etsa papiso ka mahlakore a mararo. Ho ile ha sebediswa tlhahlobo ya ditaba bakeng sa ho sekaseka boitsebiso bo nkilweng haholoholo ditlalehong tse ngotsweng. Diphuputso tse kgolo di bontsha hore thuto ya dipalo e ne e fanwa haholo ka puo ya molomo le ka ho ngola botong. Diphuputso di senotse hore ho ne ho na le menyetla e fokolang ya ho ithuta bakeng sa baithuti ba difofu diphaposing tsa borutelo tse tlwaelehileng tsa Lesotho. Ho mokgwa o itseng, barutwana ba ne ba laola menyetla ya ho ithuta ha ba ithuta dipalo ka ho kgetha se ka ba tswelang molemo. Diphuputso di boetse di bontsha hore dintlha tse etsang hore baithuti ba utlwisise le ho ba le seabo thutong ya dipalo maemong a akaretsang di kenyelletsa: ho fana ka ditokisetso tse thibelang le ho haella ha dibuka tsa sekolo, ho fella ka ho itshetleha ha bona ho balekane ba bona ba nang le pono e sebetsang ho ba balla; phano e sa lekaneng ya disebediswa tsa bohlokwa, tshebediso e sa sebetseng ya disebediswa tsa theknoloji e thusang e lebisang ho tloheleng ha bona. Diphuputso tsena di kgothaletsa ho matlafatsa matitjhere a Mmetse, ka mananeo a matla a pele ho tshebeletso le nakong ya tshebeletso ho ba nolofalletsa ho fumana tsebo e loketseng e neng e tla finyella ditlhoko tsa ho ruta Mmetse ho baithuti ba difofu dibakeng tse akaretsang. Diphuputso tsena di kgothalletsa hore baithuti ba difofu ba fuwe disebediswa tsa ho ithuta tse fumanehang habonolo e le ho ba thusa hore ba ithute ka bobona ntle le ho sitisa bomphato ba bona ba bonang. Diphuputso tsena di kgothaletsa dithuto tsa nako e tlang ho atolosa boholo ba thuto ka ho eketsa boholo ba sampole le ho utlwa maikutlo a matitjhere ka ho ruta Mmetse ho baithuti ba nang le ditlhoko tse kgethehileng tsa thuto dikolong tse akaretsang tse nang le disebediswa tse fokolang.