Teachers of students with visual impairments perceptions and exp

University of North Dakota UND Scholarly Commons Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects January 2016 Teachers' Of Students With Visual Impairments Perceptions And Experiences Of Teaching The Expanded Core Curriculum Renae T. Bjorg Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.edu/theses Recommended Citation Bjorg, Renae T., "Teachers' Of Students With Visual Impairments Perceptions And Experiences Of Teaching The Expanded Core Curriculum" (2016). Theses and Dissertations.edu/theses/1995 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects at UND Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UND Scholarly Commons.

For more information, please contact zeineb. TEACHERS’ OF STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF TEACHING THE EXPANDED CORE CURRICULUM by Renae Therese Bjorg Bachelor of Education, University of North Dakota, 1990 Master of Science, University of North Dakota, 1992 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of North Dakota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Grand Forks, North Dakota December 2016 PERMISSION Title Teachers’ of Students With Visual Impairments Perceptions and Experiences of Teaching the Expanded Core Curriculum Department Teaching and Learning Degree Doctor of Philosophy In presenting this dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree from the University of North Dakota, I agree that the library of this University shall make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor who supervised my dissertation work or, in her absence, by the Chairperson of the department or the dean of the School of Graduate Studies. It is understood that any copying or publication or other use of this dissertation or part thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission.

It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of North Dakota in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my dissertation. Renae Therese Bjorg November 29, 2016 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .1 Impact of Visual Impairments .2 Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers of Students With Visual Impairments .6 Expanded Core Curriculum .9 Issues Related to Visual Impairments .12 Purpose of the Study .14 Statement of the Problem .15 Significance of the Study .18 Delimitations of the Study .19 Organization of the Study. REVIEW OF LITERATURE .25 The National Agenda .31 Expanded Core Curriculum .36 Orientation and Mobility.38 Accessing Assistive Technology .42 Recreation and Leisure .46 Independent Living Skills .48 Chapter II Summary. PRESENTATION OF THE DATA WITH RESPECT TO THE LITERATURE .59 Descriptions of Participants .63 Theme One: It takes a village .63 Theme Two: Ongoing and systematic checks for understanding are mandatory for students with visual impairments to gain educational competency.66 Theme Three: Teachers of students with visual impairments perceive the North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind professionals as experts in the expanded core curriculum .68 Discussion of Category I: Competence.69 Category II: Roles and Responsibilities .71 Theme Four: Teachers of students with visual impairments perceive they are primarily responsible for teaching compensatory skills and use of assistive technology areas of the expanded core curriculum.71 vi Theme Five: Teachers of students with visual impairments perceive the parents of students with visual impairments and the North Dakota School Vision Services/School for the Blind professionals are primarily responsible for teaching the independent living skills area of the expanded core curriculum to students who are visually impaired, across the state .75 Discussion of Category II: Roles and Responsibilities .77 Category III: Challenges .78 Theme Six: Academic curriculum takes precedence over the expanded core curriculum.78 Theme Seven: Limited time and limited access prohibit teachers of students with visual impairments from providing consistent and systematic instruction of the expanded core curriculum within the school district .80 Discussion of Category III: Challenges.

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS .88 Purpose of the Study .88 Overview of the Methodology .89 Theme One: It takes a village .89 Theme Two: Ongoing and systematic checks for understanding are mandatory for students with visual impairments to gain educational competency .90 Theme Three: Teachers of students with visual impairments perceive the North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind professionals as experts in the expanded core curriculum.91 Theme Four: Teachers of students with visual impairments perceive they are primarily responsible for teaching compensatory skills and use of assistive technology areas of the expanded core curriculum .92 vii Theme Five: Teachers of students with visual impairments perceive the parents of students with visual impairments and the North Dakota School Vision Services/School for the Blind professionals are primarily responsible for teaching the independent living skills area of the expanded core curriculum to students who are visually impaired, across the state .94 Theme Six: Academic curriculum takes precedence over the expanded core curriculum.96 Theme Seven: Limited time and limited access prohibit teachers of students with visual impairments from providing consistent and systematic instruction of the expanded core curriculum within the school district .97 Assertion: Educating students with visual impairments in the state of North Dakota requires an integrative approach in which academic curriculum and expanded core curriculum are addressed through collaborative efforts among all stakeholders and service providers .100 Recommendations for Teachers of Students With Visual Impairments .100 Recommendations for the North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind .101 Recommendations for Parents .102 Recommendations for Future Studies. Informed Consent Form. Expanded Core Curriculum Descriptions .113 viii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Famous Individuals With Visual Impairments and Their Accomplishments.

Barriers and Potential Solutions to Providing the ECC. Description of the Participants .64 ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank the following individuals who have encouraged, supported, and equipped me to complete this dissertation. I could not have done it without their help. Through this research and writing process, I have grown in ways that reach far beyond the walls of academia.

I am deeply grateful for the individuals who came alongside me on this journey. I want to thank Dr. Myrna Olson, my committee chairperson. You planted the seeds of the doctoral program years ago, and nurtured and supported me as they came to fruition.

Your confidence in my abilities helped me to step more fully into the woman I am today. Your guidance and direction throughout my educational experiences at the University of North Dakota, and especially during this dissertation process, have been invaluable. My sincere thanks to Dr. Kari Chiasson, my doctoral advisor.

Not only did you provide the roadmap for successfully completing this dissertation, you held the light at every turn so that I would stay the course. Your insights and provocative questions helped me to analyze my data and refine my writing process. You taught me to have courage and to take risks. I wish to thank Dr.

Patti Mahar, committee member, for being a joyful giver. You have inspired me to embrace the process, and to embrace life. Your feedback confirmed x on of my deepest desires for this research, which is that people know the importance and the value of teaching the expanded core curriculum. I wish to thank Dr.

Peggy Mohr, committee member, for her unique perspectives. Your suggestions to work with physical therapists and occupational therapists to create innovative ways of service delivery are brilliant. Your gentle, yet passionate, demeanor has helped me approach this project from a more grounded standpoint. I want to thank my editor, Sharon Fields.

I appreciate your keen eye for detail and editorial work. Your investment in ensuring that this document is of the utmost quality is unparalleled. Thank you to Sandy Krom also, who formatted this document. I want to thank each of the individuals who participated in this study.

I am grateful to them for taking time to share their stories, and for the continual difference they make in the lives of their students with visual impairments and the students’ families. The contributions these teachers of students with visual impairments have made are priceless. I wish to extend a special thank you to my family. I appreciate your support and encouragement more than you know.

To my daughter Bianca and her husband Jake, thank you for always cheering me on and celebrating my successes. Ella, Anna, Joshua, Karina, Caleb, and Olivia, your joyfulness and playfulness lifted my spirits and inspired my creativity. I am so blessed that you are my grandchildren. To my son Zach, thank you for helping me to set realistic goals and encouraging me to accept nothing less than greatness.

Shana, thank you for the many copies of articles and research items. Shannon and Jake, thank you for your patience and forgiveness for often being preoccupied with this dissertation. Mom and Dad, your love and support mean the world to me. Thank you to my husband, Paul.

You are my beloved and my best friend. Thank you for your xi prayers and for believing in me. Your strength and faith are unwavering. You are my dream come true.

I thank you, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. With you, all things are possible. xii ABSTRACT The purpose of the qualitative research study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) in the state of North Dakota regarding the expanded core curriculum (ECC). This study included transcribed interviews from six TSVIs who taught in grades K-12.

The National Agenda for the Education of Children and Youths with Visual Impairments, Including Those with Multiple Disabilities was used to frame this study. Phenomenological methods were used to analyze the interviews into codes, categories, themes, and an assertion. Following were the seven themes supported by the data collected: 1. Teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) reported that the responsibility of educating students with visual impairments is “huge”; therefore, it takes a village (i., North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind [NDVS/SB] professionals, teams, and others) to ensure the unique needs of students with visual impairments are met.

TSVIs emphasized the importance of systematic and purposeful instruction, and ongoing and systematic checks for understanding. TSVIs perceived instructors at the NDVS/SB as experts in teaching the expanded core curriculum. TSVIs perceived they were primarily responsible for teaching compensatory skills and use of assistive technology. TSVIs perceived the parents of students with visual impairments and the NDVS/SB were primarily responsible for teaching independent living skills of the expanded core curriculum (ECC).

TSVIs perceived academic curriculum takes precedence over the expanded core curriculum. Limited time and limited access prohibit TSVIs from providing consistent, and systematic, instruction of the expanded core curriculum within their respective school districts. These seven themes converged into the following assertion: Educating students with visual impairments in the state of North Dakota requires an integrative approach in which academic curriculum and expanded core curriculum are addressed through collaborative efforts among all stakeholders and service providers. In summary, educating students with visual impairments is an enormous task that no one person can accomplish alone.

It behooves stakeholders, associated with vision impairments, to work together to create models for teaching the expanded core curriculum that ensure equity of services throughout the state. xiv CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) have a demanding role in educating students who have limited or no vision. The term visual impairment is used to describe a continuum of visual conditions that impedes individuals from accessing their environments, learning, and completing life skills independently. Some individuals on the continuum use their vision as their primary mode for gaining information.

On the opposite end of the continuum, individuals who are totally blind must rely on other senses to gain information. For the purposes of this study, visual impairment is synonymous with legal blindness. It indicates a visual acuity of 20/200 or less, after best corrected vision.