Challenges faced by science teachers at schools with the visually handicapped

Science is a field that contains abstract concepts and is rich in content. Science teachers working in schools for the visually impaired face various difficulties in this regard. Identifying these difficulties is very important for solving problems and for a more efficient education and training process. These difficulties will be determined as a result of interviews with teachers who teach visually impaired individuals. With this research, it is aimed to determine the difficulties experienced by science teachers working in visually impaired secondary schools. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with 3 female and 3 male science teachers working in visually impaired secondary schools in different provinces of Turkey in the 2022-2023 academic year. Qualitative study method was used in the study. In the study conducted with the case study design, the data were collected using a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. Questions were asked to the teachers in line with the training they received in the field of special education, the measurement and evaluation process, the use of laboratories, the use of materials, the physical structure of the school, the school management and the difficulties they experienced with the parents. The interviews were recorded with a voice recorder with the permission of the volunteer participants. The obtained data were analyzed by content analysis. During the analysis process, themes, categories and codes were created. As a result of the analysis, difficulties experienced in professional competence, difficulties in students' interest in science lessons, difficulties in using Braille alphabet, difficulties in visual impairment rates, difficulties in teaching the lesson, difficulties in curriculum and textbooks, difficulties in using laboratories , difficulties in the use of materials, difficulties in measurement and evaluation, difficulties in school management and parents, difficulties in the physical conditions of the school were reached. Suggestions were made in line with the results obtained.