Policy Analysis of Science-based Best Practices for Students with Visual Impairments

With the passage of Goals 2000 (P.L. 103-227), the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110), and the Education Science Reform Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-279), Congress has put a priority on a science curriculum for children that is based on research on the best practices in science education. According to the U.S. Department of Education (2004), teachers "need to know what programs and strategies are effective in improving achievement in ... science." Students' achievement scores for scientific literacy are far below international standards and are not adequate for "full participation as productive citizens in the 21st Century" (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). However, there is a lack of research-based science education practices for students with visual impairments and a great need for valid research that will improve the possibilities for these students in the area of science education (Zaborowski, 2006). REQUIREMENTS MANDATED BY LAW The need for research on science education has been noted in the three pieces of legislation mentioned earlier. In Goals 2000, Congress mandated research to determine which methods and processes of learning are best for children. For example, the law stated: "The Federal Government should support an extensive program of educational research, development, dissemination, replication and assistance to identify and support best responses for the challenges ahead." No Child Left Behind reflected both science educational standards and the need for better teaching practices. The Education Science Reform Act emphasized educational research in science education and authorized the creation of a council to research science educational practices. It established the definition of scientifically based research as rigorous; systematic; objective; and able to present findings, analyze data, use reliable methods to collect data, make claims of causal relationships, obtain acceptance by peers, and use appropriate research designs. Given these mandates, schools must not only adhere to the standards of science education, but also provide opportunities for students that are based on researched best practices. According to the U.S. Department of Education (2003), too many schools have experimented with lessons and materials that were proved to be ineffective. Therefore, schools must now use teaching methods that have been researched and found to be scientifically based, as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT Although there has been a call for the greater use of research-based best instructional practices, there is a dearth of research in the field from which to draw best practices. There are small numbers of scholars able to conduct research due to limited university programs as well as a limited number of researchers in both consumer and professional organizations. In addition, there are few new scholars entering the field. According to Silberman, Ambrose-Zaken, Corn, and Trief (2004), the average age of faculty members in university programs in visual impairment continues to increase--more than 60% are aged 50 or older. These faculty members believe that if they leave their current positions, they will not be replaced. Furthermore, there are only a few vision programs in universities in which to conduct research (Barraga, 1990). Silberman et al. (2004) also found that faculty have little time to conduct research and that obtaining funding for research was a challenge. Not only is the field losing researchers at the university level, but new researchers do not have many previous studies on which to build their research. Although many manuals explain how to teach science to students with visual impairments (Dion, Hoffman, & Matter, 2000; Hadary & Cohen, 1978; Koenig & Holbrook, 2000; Kumar, Ramassamy, & Stefanich, 2001; Willoughby & Duffy, 1989), little research has been conducted to determine the effectiveness of these ideas and materials. …