Dr Joy Wanwuri Bright-George, Dr Tamunokuro Abel Chima Briggs
Abstract
Visual impairment comes with associated concerns/needs capable of hampering students’ learning in an inclusive education. This study investigated psycho-educational needs of students with visual loss in schools in Port Harcourt. It adopted survey design. Two research questions and two corresponding hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study comprised 65 students with visual impairment in special schools in Port Harcourt. Purposive and census sampling techniques were used to adopt all the 65 students as the sample. Researchers-developed instrument titled: “Psycho-Educational Needs Scale (PENS)” was used to collect data. PENS was validated by three experts, and a reliability coefficient of 0.78 was established. Mean, standard deviation and independent z-test were used for data analyses. The findings, among others, showed that the psycho-educational needs of students with visual loss include care, empathy, respect, self-confidence, security, qualitative teaching, meaningful curriculum content, ultra-modern learning facilities and customized reusable objects. Also, there was significant difference in the mean rating of students with visual loss on their psychological needs between primary and secondary schools in Port Harcourt Municipality. It was recommended, among others, that stakeholders should provide learning and psychological adjustment programmes in schools for inclusive education.