Making mathematics accessible to visually impaired high school learners in South Africa : teachers’ instructional approaches, assistive devices and challenges

Liaga, Mary M.Ogbonnaya, Ugorji IheanachorVan Putten, Sonja2024-11-122025Mary M. Liaga, Ugorji I. Ogbonnaya & Sonja van Putten (2025): Making Mathematics Accessible to Visually Impaired High School Learners in South Africa: Teachers’ Instructional Approaches, Assistive Devices and Challenges, International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, vol. 72, no. 4, pp. 661-678, DOI: 10.1080/1034912X.2024.2394810.1034-912X (print)1465-346X (online)10.1080/1034912X.2024.2394810http://hdl.handle.net/2263/99028This case study explored the instructional approaches and assistive devices employed by high school mathematics teachers in teaching visually impaired (VI) learners and the challenges encountered by the teachers in facilitating the learners’ construction of mathematical knowledge. The participants were two high school mathematics teachers from a special school for the visually impaired in South Africa. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and lesson observation. Inadequate skills in using Braille codes, time constraints, lack of learners’ home support structure, and technology failure are some of the challenges encountered by the teachers in teaching the VI learners. The approaches used by the teachers to teach mathematics to the VI learners in this study are direct instruction, contextual linking, scaffolding, peer tutoring, and problem-solving. The technologies the teachers used included text enlargers, text translators, text embossers, structure embossers, and scientific talking calculators. The study recommends in-service training for teachers teaching mathematics to.en© 2024 University of Pretoria. This is an electronic version of an article published in International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, vol. 72, no. 4, pp. 661-678, 2025. doi : 10.1080/1034912X.2024.2394810. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education is available online at: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cijd20.Assistive devicesBlind learnersSpecial-needs educationVisually impaired learnersSDG-04: Quality educationSDG-10: Reduced inequalitiesMaking mathematics accessible to visually impaired high school learners in South Africa : teachers’ instructional approaches, assistive devices and challengesPostprint Article