Perceptions of the Visually Impaired Toward Pursuing Geography Courses and Majors in Higher Education

Abstract

Advances in classroom technology have lowered barriers for the visually impaired to study geography, yet few participate. Employing stereotype threat theory, we examined whether beliefs held by the visually impaired affect perceptions toward completing courses and majors in visually oriented disciplines. A test group received a low-level threat message that responses would be compared to sighted students, while a control group did not. Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for the set of visual disciplines. Results indicated that threat messages did seem to influence participants’ perceptions; however, additional research is necessary.

Key Words:

• visual impairment
• stereotype threat theory
• disability geography

Acknowledgments

Christopher D. Murr is Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships at Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA. He received his master's of science and Ph.D. degrees in the Department of Geography at Texas State University, and is visually impaired. His research interests include geographic education, emphasizing teaching and learning of geography by the disabled at all levels of education.

R. Denise Blanchard is a professor of geography at Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA, and specializes in natural and environmental hazards, with research interests in geographic education, environmental perception, and vulnerable populations.

Notes

1. Thinking that levels of visual acuity might be a factor in visually impaired students’ perceptions, we tested this measure with respect toward their beliefs in completing visual courses and majors; however, we found no statistically significant differences between our test and control groups regardless of their category (high to low) of vision impairment. Thus, we chose not to include this result in our discussion.