Personnel preparation programs for teachers of students with visual impairments in arabic countries

Date

2009-08

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

Approximately 35 million people who are blind or visually impaired live in the Arabic World. The number of people with visual impairments continues to grow in the Arabic countries. Therefore, to meet the needs of this growing population, a need for more teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) exists. However, special education programs, especially for students with visual impairments (VI), are still new in the Arabic World. Some of the Arabic countries have special education programs at the university level to prepare educators of students with special needs, and most of these university programs do not have personnel preparation programs in the field of visual impairment or other disabilities. Most of these countries provide services to students who are blind or visually impaired in separate residential settings such as the Al-Noor Institute for Blind in most Arabic nations. The purpose of this study was to examine the teachers’ personnel preparation training programs in the field of visual impairment in the Arabic World. This study used an online survey as a method to collect data. Twenty-six (26) professionals (professors and educators) participated in this study from a variety of programs including university programs, agency programs, and other specialized training programs in the participants’ countries or accessing personnel from other countries. The results provided useful information to universities and agencies in the Arabic countries to develop, improve, and maintain more effective TVI training programs. However, this study’s results identified a shortage of teacher training programs for TVIs in the Arabic World, so there is a significant need to develop and increase the number of professional personnel preparation programs to prepare TVIs in these countries.

Description

Keywords

Student, Reacher, Program, Prepare, Personnel

Citation