Effect of Applied Orientation and Mobility Programme on Attitude and Achievement in Geometry of Learners with Visual Impairment in Abuja and Gindiri, Nigeria

Abstract

Geometry and on larger scale mathematics was not taught to learners with visual impairment and so they do not write public examinations in the area of mathematics (geometry) in Nigeria. This study is on effect of applied orientation and mobility programme on attitude and achievement in geometry of learners with visual impairment in Abuja and Gindiri. The specific aim of the research is to find out if applied orientation and mobility programme as an adapted teaching strategy will give access and enhance task performance of learners with visual impairment in geometry; and its effect on the attitude and age at onset of the impairment of the learners towards geometry. The research design used was experimental design. The pre-test post test design was used. Two schools were used; schools for blind children Jabi-Abuja and Gindiri with the population of one hundred and fifty seven children. Proportional stratified random sampling method was used. The sample size was ten in classes four and five of each of the schools making a total of 20 samples. The samples were stratified based on age at onset of impairment and grouped into experimental and control groups. Two instruments were used: Attitude to Geometry Scale (AGS) and Adapted Geometry Task Performance Test (AGTPT). Three research questions and five hypotheses were used. The research questions were analysed by the use of simple percentage and mean. An independent t-Test was employed in testing the hypotheses. The findings of this study were that the new adapted teaching strategy developed; applied orientation and mobility programme gave access to learners with visual impairment to participate in geometry and it enhanced task performance of the learners in geometry. The high performance in geometry tasks changed from negative to positive attitude of the learners towards geometry. The study showed that the adapted strategy had no effect on task performance and attitude towards geometry on the basis of age at onset of visual impairment. The implications of the findings of this study are: Access and high task performance in geometry and mathematics in general will qualify the learners‟ entrance into tertiary institutions since today mathematics is used as a filter for entrance into tertiary institutions. Some will read mathematics as a course of specialisation and obtain certificate in it and many will read science, technology and engineering courses or professions in future as a result of skills in geometry and mathematics. Much of the working of the adapted teaching strategy involved interaction with the environment thereby resulting in skills in spatial concepts. Therefore the adapted strategy will enhance skills and knowledge in most of the subjects taught in school which involve spatial process and its applicability cuts across all subjects. The study revealed that age at onset in learners does not matter in task performance and attitude towards geometry. This disproof the deficiency inefficiency theory or controversy that has existed in special education for long which states that congenitally visually impaired persons perform lower in spatial concepts than adventitiously visually impaired or sighted persons.