Online Synchronous Professional Development to Support Teachers of Students With Visual Impairments in Learning Nemeth Code Within Unified English Braille Contexts

Introduction: This study explored the impact of synchronous professional development regarding Nemeth Code Within Unified English Braille (UEB) Contexts on the knowledge and skills of 17 teachers of students with visual impairments. Methods: Participants attended the professional development session...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of visual impairment & blindness Vol. 117; no. 6; pp. 440 - 452
Main Authors Herzberg, Tina S., Rosenblum, L. Penny, Osterhaus, Susan A., Larkin, Sara K., McBride, C. Rett
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2023
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Braille
Core Curriculum
Error Patterns
Professional development
Students
Visual Impairments
braille code
STEM education
Nemeth Code
braille literacy
teacher training
Unified English Braille
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Summary:Introduction: This study explored the impact of synchronous professional development regarding Nemeth Code Within Unified English Braille (UEB) Contexts on the knowledge and skills of 17 teachers of students with visual impairments. Methods: Participants attended the professional development sessions in June 2022 and submitted a pretest, posttest, final assignment, and posttraining survey. Results: Sixteen out of 17 participants scored higher on their posttest with a mean difference of 5.53. None of the participants submitted an error-free assignment. Total numbers of errors ranged from 8 to 60, and the categories with the highest percentage of errors were formatting, use of opening and terminating switch indicators, and Nemeth Code symbols. Discussion: In order to successfully progress in the general education curriculum, students who read braille must have access to timely, accurately prepared materials in all content areas including mathematics. Direct examination of the final assignment submitted by the 17 participants revealed similar error patterns to previous research. In addition, some of the participants struggled to correctly use Nemeth Code switch indicators. Implications for Practitioners: Teachers of students with visual impairments should continue to build their skills for Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts. Additional resources and professional development are urgently needed.
ISSN:0145-482X
1559-1476
DOI:10.1177/0145482X231216956