시각장애학생들의 수학교과에 대한 태도 및 인식

Abstract

The visually impaired people cannot have various and meaningful experience from visual information that suffer from learning for mathematical concept. Even though the necessity and importance of the mathematics increases, the avoidance of the mathematics hinder an accomplishment of the learning for education curriculum in the field of mathematics. The avoidance of the mathematics significantly influences not only on academic achievement but also determination for the career or life time goal.. Preceded studies were held on normal students as to academic achievement, motivation, and attitude in the field of mathematics, but this study analysis attitude or awareness of the mathematics, leading to identify from what area of mathematics. visually impaired students have difficulty. In addition, this study is intended to provide basic data required to develop learning strategies and proper instructors and to enhance positive attitude and confidence of visually impaired students on the subject of mathematics. Study subjects required to achieve the goal of this study are as follows. Firstly, how is the attitude of visually impaired students as to the mathematics? Secondly, is there any difference of the attitude on the mathematics depending on gender, school classification, learning media, and the time period of disorder occurred. Third, what are preference and difficulty level of the field in mathematics for visually impaired students? Fourth, is there any difference of preference and difficulty level of visually impaired students depending on gender, school classification, learning media, and the time period of disorder occurred. This study was conducted on visually impaired students currently attending 10 different schools where were agreed upon by twelve particular schools for visually impaired students in the nation. Survey paper consist of basic questionnaires, overall attitude of visually impaired students, and preference and difficulty level of the area in mathematics. Basic questionnaires consist of gender, school classification, ages, and the time period of disorder occurred, and overall attitude of visually impaired students as to mathematics was divided into five factors. Preference and difficulty level of the area in mathematics were classified into five fields including number and calculation, symbols and formula, function, statistics, and probability depending on the education curriculum. The survey was conducted on August and September in 2001, proceeding an interview with instructors. The data analysis was proceeded using SPSS (18.0) program that compared five sub-factors as to overall attitude on the mathematics, and background variables and T-test was conducted to identify the relations. Preference and difficulty level of areas in mathematics and reasons were compared using averages, using background variables and T-test. In addition, simple frequency and percentage of contents as to the reason were also identified. Results of the study are as follows. Firstly, as for overall attitude of the visually impaired students on the mathematics showed the most negative identification on the mathematics in five fields of awareness of the mathematics, motivation of the mathematics, self-concept of the mathematics, anxiety of the mathematics, and condition of learning for the mathematics. Secondly, overall attitude of the mathematics according to background variables of visually impaired students showed statistically significant difference of awareness of the mathematics and self-concept of the mathematics depending on the gender. It turned out that male students showed more positive attitude on the mathematics compared to female students. Overall attitude of the mathematics according to school classification showed significant difference in the field of condition for learning math and motivation to learn math, indicating that middle school students have more positive attitude than those in high school. Overall attitude of mathematics according to major learning media showed significant difference in the field of awareness of the mathematics, motivation of the mathematics, self-concept of the mathematics, and anxiety of the mathematics. In general, students learning with mute letters showed more positive attitude on the mathematics than those learning with braille. Overall attitude of the mathematics according to the time period of disorder occurred showed significant difference on the awareness of the mathematics and motivation for learning math. Students with in-borne visual disorder showed more negative attitude on the mathematics than those with acquired visual impairment. Thirdly, awareness of preference and difficulty level of the areas in mathematics of visually impaired students showed that they feel difficulty on the figures and function. It turned out that visually impaired students prefer probability, statistics, numbers, and calculation the most. Fourth, the difference of the preference and difficulty level of visually impaired students according to background variables showed significant difference in the field of number, calculation, function, statistics, and probability, and, in general, it was indicated that female students feel more difficulty on the mathematics than male students. There was significant difference in the function according to the gender, indicating that male students prefer functions more than female students. There was significant difference in the probability and statistics according to the difficulty difference in the class. It was indicated that middle school students feel probability and statistics easier than those in high school. There was significant difference in field of number, calculation, probability, and statistic according to preference of the class, showing that middle school students prefer them more than those in high school. The difference of difficulty level according to major learning media showed significant difference in the field of calculation, symbols and formula, function, and figure. In general, it turned out that those learning with mute letters feel more comfortable on them. Lastly, there was significant difference in the field of symbols and formula, probability and statistics, and figures according to preference for major learning media, showing that students learning with mute letter prefer more than those learning with braille. As for limitations of this study, firstly, overall attitude and difficulty level and preference of the areas in mathematics were studies on visually impaired students. So, there needs a separate study to identify any difference of attitude and awareness of the mathematics between visually impaired students and normal students. Secondly, this study was conducted to identify attitude and awareness of visually impaired students via quantitative research. Therefore, there needs qualitative research on the attitude and awareness of students based on the result of this study. Thirdly, there needs measures in the definitive and cognitive fields of the mathematics in order to derive interest and attention of the mathematics. Therefore, there should be a follow-up study to suggest measures for this issue.