Background and Purpose <p> In recent years, the roles and responsibilities of teachers has become increasingly diverse and demanding. For teachers with visual impairments, fulfilling these roles presented considerable challenges, as vision played a central role in classroom instruction, communication, and professional development. Nevertheless, through the effective use of various strategies, assistive technologies, and social support systems, visually impaired teachers could not only overcome barriers but also thrive in their profession by contributing their unique experiences and expertise. These efforts helped safeguard their employment rights and demonstrated the value of diversity in education. <p> In Taiwan, over 100 teachers with visual impairments were estimated to be working across a range of educational settings, including itinerant support services, resource classrooms, and special schools for the blind. Despite growing recognition of inclusive education, studies focusing on their professional challenges and support systems remained limited, particularly across different teaching contexts. <p> This study aimed to: <p> 1. Investigate the work-related challenges and coping strategies of teachers with visual impairments in various teaching environments. <p> 2. Examine the types of social support they received and their expectations for further support in fulfilling their professional roles. <p> Methods <p> This study employed a qualitative approach using semi-structured, in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of teachers with visual impairments in Taiwan’s national basic education system. The focus was on understanding their work-related challenges, coping strategies, and social support. <p> 1. Participants <p> Seven visually impaired teachers were selected through purposive sampling based on three criteria: (1) holding official certification of visual impairment, (2) currently working at the national education level, and (3) teaching in settings including two in regular classrooms, one in a resource room, two itinerant teachers, and two in special schools for the blind. The participants－three males and four females aged 28 to 47－had an average of 16 years of teaching experience. Four were blind and three had low vision, with most using both print and Braille. Their vision loss occurred either congenitally, during schooling, or in adulthood. <p> 2. Interview Topics and Guide <p> An interview guide, validated by two experienced visually impaired teachers, covered: (1) teaching duties and challenges, (2) coping strategies, (3) current social support, and (4) support expectations. Key themes included instruction and counseling, school climate, professional development, workplace relationships, and transportation. <p> 3. Ethical Considerations and Data Collection <p> All participants received detailed study information and gave written consent. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, interviews were conducted online from April to June 2022, each lasting 2-3 hours. <p> 4. Data Analysis <p> Recordings were transcribed and coded using a structured labeling system noting data type, participant role, interview number, and location in the transcript. Thematic analysis combined inductive and deductive approaches. To enhance credibility, the study applied Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) criteria, including member checking, triangulation through supplementary sources (e.g., media reports, participant documents), and cross-review by two trained co-researchers. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion. <p> Results <p> 1. Work challenges and coping strategies <p> (1) Teaching and counseling <p> Teachers with visual impairments faced unique challenges and developed specific coping strategies depending on their teaching environments. Teachers in regular classrooms, who primarily instructed sighted students, encountered difficulties such as remembering students, managing the classroom, and limited support hours from vision assistants. Their key coping strategies included implementing effective classroom management and establishing clear communication practices. <p> For teachers working with visually impaired students, those in resource classrooms faced a heavy workload from translating teaching materials and providing comprehensive guidance. Itinerant teachers encountered challenges related to IEP verification, insufficient tutoring hours, and working with diverse student needs. Special education school teachers struggled with obtaining accessible electronic textbooks. Coping strategies included focusing on students’ interests and needs, effectively utilizing visual aids, fostering empathy, and sharing personal learning experiences. <p> (2) School organizational climate <p> Challenges included a lack of accommodations for special needs, supervisors questioning their capabilities, overly protective colleagues, and difficulties integrating into the school community. Coping strategies involved refraining from requesting special treatment, delivering work of comparable quality, and maintaining a positive mindset through self-adjustment. <p> (3) Professional knowledge and development <p> Challenges were categorized into difficulties with engaging in ongoing learning and responding to immediate learning situations. To overcome these, teachers actively sought assistance and employed personal strategies such as multi-sensory learning techniques. <p> (4) Work interpersonal relationships <p> Teachers with visual impairments often experienced challenges interacting with colleagues due to vision limitations, busy schedules, or extensive travel requirements. They also faced prejudice from other teachers, parents, and even students with visual impairments. Coping strategies included proactively initiating interactions, demonstrating a positive attitude and professionalism, adjusting their mindset, avoiding taking assistance for granted, and refraining from overinterpreting others’ biases. <p> (5) Work transportation <p> Main challenges involved difficulties using public transportation, unsafe road conditions, and concerns about personal safety. Itinerant teachers, in particular, bore a heavy workload. Coping strategies included using mobile applications and assistive technologies, requesting guidance from station staff when using the MRT, utilizing large-print cards for buses, booking rehabilitation transportation, or using taxis. <p> Overall, teachers with visual impairments faced not only the typical challenges encountered by sighted teachers but also vision-related limitations and societal stereotypes. Resource class teachers and itinerant teachers for visually impaired students experienced particularly heavy workloads. Despite adopting various coping strategies, significant challenges remained that required further attention and support. <p> 2. Social support and expectations <p> Social support in the teaching profession was categorized into formal and informal types. Formal social support included assistance from schools, policy-based support, and access to social welfare resources. Informal social support comprised aid from colleagues, family, friends, students, their parents, and peer teachers with visual impairments. Among these, peer teachers offered the most comprehensive and valuable support, which was essential for visually impaired teachers to effectively perform their teaching roles. <p> Additionally, teachers with visual impairments primarily expected to receive more practical support, including: (1) Flexible allocation of funding for vision assistants’ working hours, (2) Establishment of dedicated units for translating teaching materials for visually impaired students, (3) A review of staffing policies for teachers in resource classrooms for visually impaired students, (4) Organizing itinerant tutoring for visually impaired students into structured classes, and (5) Normalizing individualized reconstruction service plans and eliminating societal stereotypes. <p> These expectations indicated that current support systems were insufficient to fully meet the needs of visually impaired teachers, limiting their ability to maximize their strengths. Persistent stereotypes and misconceptions from society further exacerbate the challenges they faced. <p> Suggestions <p> Based on the findings of this study, specific recommendations were provided for visually impaired teachers, the schools where they taught, administrative agencies, and future research endeavors.
本站僅提供期刊文獻檢索。
