An investigation into the commonalities of students who are braille readers in a southwestern state who possess comprehensive literacy skills
Year: 2017
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Texas Tech University, Bertha Avila, August 2017 \nABSTRACT \nChildren who happen to be blind or visually impaired deserve the same educational experiences as their peers who are sighted. In order to level the playing field for these children, literacy, whether it is braille or print literacy, and the opportunity to grow and develop should be the norm and not the exception. Much has been written in past decades regarding the education of children who are blind or visually impaired. Studies have been conducted, books and articles have been written, and many people have made careers in the field of education for people who are blind. \nThese children deserve the opportunity to develop braille literacy skills. It is unconscionable to think that a child who is sighted would not be afforded the opportunity of literacy. This study proposes that it is also unconscionable to think that a child who is blind or visually impaired would not be afforded the same opportunity. \nThe purpose of this dissertation qualitative study was to identify and compare commonalities among four students in grades 10-11 in a Southwestern state in the United States who possess comprehensive braille literacy skills. The study examined what academic factors, personal and/or family dynamics, and environmental or social components influenced the learning of braille for these students. \nThrough this dissertation study, four young people in high school shared their braille literacy skill development experiences. Their experiences and their suggestions were gathered through in-depth interviews, literacy evaluations, and direct observations. From this data, interpretations of their experiences were made to identify and compare commonalities among these four high school students who possessed comprehensive braille literacy skills. The most significant finding of the study was that the academic component was the most influential in their braille literacy development. The students’ personal determination, motivation, and initiative also had a significant role in their braille literacy while the social component had the least influence in braille literacy development. Additional subthemes were also identified from the research data. It is my hope that this study will provide the field of education of students with visual impairments with some thought-provoking considerations when it comes to teaching our children to be independent, self-sufficient, literate individuals.
Author: Bertha Avila Guerrero
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2769999613