Olhares Multiculturais acerca da Formação de Estudantes com Deficiência Visual em uma Licenciatura em Biologia

Abstract

The enrollment of students with visual impairments in higher education has been increasing over the years, highlighting the essential educational demands necessary for their continued presence in the educational environment. However, the inclusion of these students depends on teaching practices that consider their specific learning methods, especially in fields like Natural Sciences and Biology, which rely heavily on fundamentally visual skills as the basis for teaching practices. Additionally, the unique challenges faced in teaching students with visual impairments differ between remote and in-person formats, requiring the integration of skills related to technological advancement and the potential pedagogical uses of these tools in various contexts. Considering the contemporary educational demands and the ongoing efforts to overcome existing obstacles in the inclusion process for these students, this study aimed to analyze how the teacher training process for teaching students with visual impairments has been adopted in the field, within the context of a teaching degree program at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). The present study resulted in a multi-paper format text, developed from an exploratory qualitative approach, characterized by the use of bibliographic methods (through a systematic literature review) and empirical methods (through semi-structured interviews), resulting in two articles. Ten interviews were conducted with representatives from different aspects of the teaching process, including professionals from the Student Support Center for Students with Special Educational Needs (NAPE) at UFBA, as well as teachers, students, and administrative staff representatives from the Institute of Biology at the university. Based on the results presented in this Dissertation, the discussion revolved around the scarcity of studies addressing accessibility issues for students with visual impairments in remote classes, especially in the fields of Natural Sciences and Biology. Furthermore, not only do teachers lack the necessary training to handle the existing diversity in the classroom, but teacher education students are also not receiving such preparation in their training programs. The shortage of studies, coupled with the gaps in teacher training that support inclusive teaching practices, emphasizes the need for new research in the field. Moreover, there is a demand to encourage and promote ongoing professional development for practicing teachers and to implement a curriculum restructuring in teaching programs that provides education aligned with current educational needs.