The Impact of Inclusive Education on Visually Impaired Students in Turkey

• In Event: 31.091 - Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: 31.091-21 - Interrogating Inclusion and Exclusion in an International Context

Abstract

Turkish Disability Act introduced inclusive education as a solution to the sustained problems of students with disabilities, including visually impaired students. The main purpose of this study was to explore the challenges of visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms in Turkey. Data consisted of interviews conducted with four high school graduates. Data were analyzed with the constant comparison method. Students described the effects of different teaching methods on their learning and evaluated the social aspect of the inclusive education, in general. The current research showed that the social needs of visually impaired students were met through inclusive education, whereas their academic needs were not, which we speculated to be partly because of teachers’ negative attitudes towards inclusive education.

Authors

• G. Irem Bayram, TED Bursa College

• Burcu Alapala, Bogazici University

• M. Sencer Corlu, Bilkent University