Social interaction of students with blindness and normal students, teachers, and other personnel in secondary school with mainstreaming education.

Abstract

Background : In mainstreaming education, social interaction occurs among students with blindness, normal students, teachers, and other personnel. The interactions could be both proper and improper. Previous studies regarding the interactions were only concerned with kindergarten children. So far in Thailand, no study of the kind has ever been done in secondary school population.

Objective : To study the type of social interaction of students with blindness, normal students, teachers and other personnel in secondary school with mainstreaming educations.

Design : Qualitative methodology. Collecting data by individual in-depth interview and focus group discussion.

Setting : Sri Ayudhya School under the Royal Patronage of H.R.H. Princess Bejraratanarajsuda and Santiratwitthayalai school.

Materials and Methods : There are four groups of sample population that consist of six students with blindness selected by simple random sampling and eighteen people from normal students, teacher, and other personnel groups; they were selected by snowball sampling. The people in each group except the students with blindness, were divided into three types by the blind students: favorite people, not favorite people, and the people who study with or have the relationship with the blind students. The collecting method is the interview with the questions created by the researcher and approved by a specialist in the field of qualitative methodology.

Results : There are positive and negative patterns of social interaction between the students with blindness and the normal students. The positive way is helping and supporting each other. And the negative one is improper behaviors, for example, calling the blindness students with their imperfection instead calling their name, kicking the blindness students’ white cane, etc. The patterns of social interaction between the students with blindness and most of teachers are positive. The teacher supported the students in many ways. For example, providing some normal students to help the blind, adapting the teaching material and the pattern of evaluation for the blind students, etc. However, there are some teachers who have different opinion about the mainstreaming education such as the students with blindness should study in the special school for the blind. The pattern of social interaction between the students with blindness and other personnel is positive. Because of Thai belief, the students with blindness are the group of handicapped people who need special support from others. And, the ones who help them will get back the merit.