Coping with educational barriers in Tanzanian inclusive education settings: evidence from students with sensory impairment

• DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-00977-w
• Publication Date: 2020-08-05T16:02:36Z
• Authors: Sarah Ezekiel Kis...
• Keywords: 4. Education; 05 social sciences; 10. No inequality; 0503 education

This paper reports the findings of a study that explored the coping strategies of students with sensory impairment (SI) in Tanzania’s higher educational institutions. The study focused on two categories of students with SI: those with visual impairment (totally blind and those with low vision) and those with a hearing impairment. These strategies are aimed at overcoming the academic and social barriers that these students experience during their studies. The study also identified differences in the coping strategies that students with SI employ based on their demographic characteristics. Twenty-seven students with SI participated in focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews and an open-ended questionnaire. The data were subjected to thematic analysis. The study found both the use of emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping strategies among students with SI. Whereas they used problem-focused coping strategies to manage academic barriers, these students employed the emotion-focused coping strategies to overcome social barriers. Students with visual impairment and those with a hearing impairment used social support networks more than other coping strategies, although this support would be ineffective if the students themselves made no effort. It was further established that students with SI differed in their coping strategies according to their gender, age/education level and onset of the impairment. On the whole, the study findings suggest that helping to change student’s perception of a problem was essential to enable them to cope. Thus, the study calls for collaboration and support of the entire community, including students with SI, to overcome educational barriers.