Teaching pedagogies in Tanzanian inclusive educational settings: Do they respond to diverse needs? Voices from students with visual impairment

Students’ learning and participation in inclusive educational settings requires, among other things, teaching pedagogies that respond to students’ diverse needs so as to benefit from the education provided. This study explored teaching pedagogies employed in Tanzanian inclusive educational settings across all educational levels, whether or not they respond to students’ diverse needs, using voices of students with visual impairment (VI) in higher education institutions (HEIs). A total of 16 students with VI from two HEIs were involved in a semi-structured interview, with thematic analysis being used to evaluate the data. The teaching methods used in primary schools were found to be more responsive to the needs of students with VI, compared to secondary schools and HEIs. Similarly, more positive inclusive practices were reported in primary schools than in secondary and higher education settings, and more primary school teachers with neither inclusive nor special education training were reported to be supportive and considerate to the needs of students with VI, compared to their counterparts in advanced levels. Some negative inclusive practices were also reported which appear to have an impact on students’ access to teachers’ instructions and their participation in learning. The negative inclusive practices of teachers appear to originate from teachers’ limited understanding of inclusion, negative attitudes towards students with special education needs and lack of support from school authorities. In this regard, school authorities and teachers need to transform school cultures, teaching pedagogies, and attitudes to respond to the diverse needs in inclusive educational settings