ERIC Number: EJ1471037
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2630-0672
EISSN: EISSN-2672-9431
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Voices beyond Text: Unravelling Perceptions and Experiences of Thai Students with Visual Impairment Using Microsoft's Reading Progress -- A Narrative Inquiry Approach
Buarattana Attachoo
LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, v18 n1 p700-723 2025
Students with disabilities have been facing issues in English proficiency improvement and limitations in material accessibility. This, too, happens to Students with Visual Impairment (SVIs). However, as announced in the United Nations' commitment to create equity in inclusive education, particularly in SDG Goal 4, it is vital for educators to draw attention to this issue. This qualitative study explores the perceptions and experiences of SVIs using Microsoft's Reading Progress program to develop English reading skills, particularly fluency and pronunciation, at a university in Thailand. Through a narrative inquiry approach, six Thai undergraduate students with visual impairments (SVIs) were purposively selected to narrate their perceptions and experiences through semi-structured interviews on the program assisting SVIs with English reading skill improvement. The collected data were analyzed and categorized into six themes regarding Pronunciation Improvement, bridging the Gap between Silent Reading and Pronunciation, Enhancing other English skills, and The Role of Microsoft's Reading Progress Program in Enhancing Confidence in English Reading. However, challenges were revealed in the areas of accessibility facilitating SVIs users. Lastly, additional experiences also emerged under the themes of Balance Between Pronunciation and Comprehension. The study's implications are beneficial for educational institutions and policymakers to take accessible learning solutions into account under the unique needs of students with visual impairment and, importantly, to enhance equity in inclusive education.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Students with Disabilities, Visual Impairments, Student Experience, Student Attitudes, Computer Uses in Education, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Reading Programs, Reading Skills, Undergraduate Students, Pronunciation, Reading Fluency, Skill Development, Silent Reading
Language Institute of Thammasat University. The Prachan Campus, 2 Prachan Road, Bangkok 10200 Thailand. e-mail: learnjournal@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/learn
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Thailand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A