An Examination of Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes and Views Towards Braille Writing

This study aims to examine the attitudes of senior pre-service teachers from the departments of special education, Turkish, English, mathematics, primary education, social studies, and guidance and psychological counseling, who are more likely to work with visually impaired students, towards Braille literacy, and to explore how these attitudes vary based on various demographic and educational factors.Utilizing a mixed-method approach, the study integrates quantitative data with qualitative insights derived from interviews with pre-service teachers to provide a comprehensive understanding of their perspectives.The research was conducted with 445 senior pre-service teachers from faculties of education located in Southeastern Anatolia and the Mediterranean region of Turkey for the quantitative analysis, while 21 pre-service teachers voluntarily participated in interviews for the qualitative phase.Criterion sampling was employed to select participants, and data were collected through a "Demographic Information Form, " the "Attitude Scale Towards Braille Literacy Scale" and semi-structured interviews.Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, while qualitative data underwent content analysis.The findings revealed that pre-service teachers generally exhibited positive attitudes towards Braille literacy.Significant differences were found in their attitudes based on factors such as gender, department, previous exposure to courses on visual impairments, encounters with visually impaired individuals, prior familiarity with Braille, exposure to films or series about visually impaired people, participation in scientific meetings on special education, and willingness to accommodate students with special needs in future classrooms.Conversely, age, experiences with students with special needs during teaching practice, and the presence of individuals with special needs in their family or social environment did not result in significant differences in attitudes.Qualitative data analysis identified three key themes: pedagogical competence, sensitivity towards Braille literacy, and barriers to learning Braille.These qualitative findings supported the quantitative data, revealing that pre-service teachers in departments other than special education had limited experience and competence with Braille literacy, while also indicating a strong need for coursework related to Braille literacy and visual impairments.Nevertheless, pre-service teachers generally demonstrated a high level of awareness regarding Braille.