ERIC Number: ED618618
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 87
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-3922-8315-8
ISSN: EISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Educator Perceptions on Inclusion Preschool Programming for the Visually Impaired -- A Qualitative Study
De Angelis, Liana
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northcentral University
A child's social and emotional development has a powerful impact on every aspect of their life. When a child develops a strong social and emotional foundation, they learn how to express their feelings, empathize with others, and build relationships. All of these skills could influence a child's academic achievement and successful adult life. Children who are sighted obtain these social and emotional skills incidentally through their relationships with others and observations of the world around them. For children who are blind or visually impaired, acquiring these skills can become challenging due to their disability. The problem addressed by this study was that preschool children with visual impairments exhibit delays in social and emotional development. The purpose of this research study was to examine educator perceptions on inclusion programming for preschool children with visual impairments to understand how an inclusion preschool classroom could benefit their social and emotional development. A qualitative, case study was conducted through an anonymous online survey delivered via SurveyMonkey. Six educators from a Florida preschool answered 18 open-ended questions from the survey to help answer two research questions. The first research question was what are educator perceptions of an inclusion setting on the social and emotional development of preschool children with visual impairments? The second research question was how inclusion classrooms are adapted to meet the needs of children with visual impairments? The findings of this study emphasized the importance of embracing a preschool inclusion classroom for children with visual impairments and highlighted the significance of including accommodations and modifications to increase the probability of successful integration. Based on the data collected, it is recommended for educators in an inclusion classroom to integrate activities that promote the social and emotional development of children with visual impairments. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Emotional Development, Social Development, Inclusion, Visual Impairments, Preschool Education, Preschool Children, Preschool Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Developmental Delays
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Florida
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A