Whose knowledge matters? Physical education teacher educator views and experiences of visual impairment simulations

Abstract

ABSTRACT While research has explored pre-service teacher views and experiences with disability simulations, none thus far has centered those that decide how and why such simulations are used, namely, teacher educators. Our research explores physical education teacher educator views and experiences of visual impairment simulations, as well as their perspectives toward simulations after reading reflections of visually impaired people themselves about this pedagogical task. Vignettes describing teacher educators’ use of simulations, together with the narratives of visually impaired people about simulations, were used during individual interviews with eight physical education teacher educators to support them to reflect on their own views and experiences of visual impairment simulations. All qualitative data that were generated from these interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Nearly all participants, at first, discussed the value of visual impairment simulations, focusing specifically on how they could support pre-service teachers to ‘know’, ‘understand’ and ‘feel’ how physical education is experienced by visually impaired people. Once the narratives of visually impaired people were introduced and discussed during interview, they went some way to supporting some participants to critically reflect on the ethics, authenticity, and pedagogical potential of disability simulations for preparing pre-service teachers for teaching visually impaired students. Whether engagement with the narratives of visually impaired people about simulation, or indeed anything else relating to their embodied views and experiences of physical education, will influence the way that teacher educators think about disability, visual impairment, inclusion, physical education, or teacher education in the long-term is for future research to explore.