A Pragmatic Approach to Academic Challenges of Students with Visual Impairment during Covid-19: Teacher’s Experiences

Abstract

COVID-19 which was followed by the lockdown all over the world is seriously affecting the lives of students with visual impairment, especially their academic activities. The aim of the study is to understand the current situation of special schools and explore the academic challenges of students and the ways of academic success for students with visual impairment during COVID-19. The study will aid in raising awareness for the government, decision-makers, and policymakers to consider initiatives to reduce the challenges faced by students with visual impairment during this pandemic. This study is based on semi-structured interviews with teachers that included the epistemological nature of research questions. A total of 15 teachers were selected by using a purposive sampling technique. The current research paper provides a pragmatic approach by using a type of thematic content analysis. The study's findings revealed that COVID-19 has a negative impact on the interactional and online learning, emotional state, and behavior of students with visual impairment. It is recommended that future studies may be conducted with parents and children with visual impairment, and it may investigate the other life challenges that are being faced by visually impaired students during this pandemic.