JEROME M.

INOCIAN
MA CDDS
Novaliches Group

Accessibility of Nemeth Braille Code Tutorial to Improve the Academic

Performance of Visually Impaired Dumagat Students

Teaching students with special needs, particularly those students who are
visually impaired, is at the heart of the researcher. During the 2017 outreach program of
the Junior Chamber International – Antipolo in Sitio Cayumbay, Tanay, Rizal, where
most of the Dumagat Group, an indigenous group, lived, the researcher found that more
than two percent of Dumagat children are visually impaired and have no access to
education.
Most of the schools near the island had no facilities to teach these students with
visual impairment. The only school that offers the need for people with visual
impairment could only teach them how to read and understand the concept using the
basic Braille Model. While mathematics teaching is an integral part of the Educational
System, which is one of the fundamental foundations of the three Rs. We knew it is of
great value and importance to be highly skilled in the three Rs, that's true. Therefore, it
will be a disaster for a student who cannot learn mathematics.
"The field of mathematics is closed to people who are visually impaired without
the ability to read and write symbols that represent mathematical concepts. "
(Kapperman & Sticken, 2003, p. 110). In addition, many jobs for which mathematics is
an integral function can be closed to individuals without access and mathematics
instruction. It is therefore imperative that student of visually impaired teachers receive
adequate preparation in the Nemeth code — both how to prepare materials and how to
instruct students to use the code. Blind children use the Braille Mathematics and
Science Notation Nemeth Code to gain access to mathematical work and produce it.
It is on this light that the researcher wants to identify the accessibility of Nemeth
Braille Code Tutorial to improve the academic performance of visually impaired
Dumagat Students. The researcher aims to seek the following questions: How
accessible is the Nemeth Braille Code Tutorial for those visually impairment Dumagat
students? Is there any significant relationship of the access to Nemeth Braille Code
Tutorial on the Academic Performance of the visually impaired Dumagat Students? How
were teachers of students who are visually impaired prepared in the Nemeth code, and
how effective do they think their preparation was? How do the teachers support the
acquisition of mathematical skills by users of the Nemeth code?
The researcher believes that there is a no significant relationship of the access of
Nemeth Braille Code Tutorial to improve the Academic Performance of the visually
impaired Dumagat Students. He also believes that the access on the Nemeth Code
Braille Tutorial will not enough if the teachers will not be able to develop this.
This study will utilize the Cognitive Load Theory by Cooper. Cognitive load may
be viewed as the 'mental energy' level required to process a given quantity of
information. The associated cognitive load also increases as the amount of information
to be processed increases. Cognitive load theory suggests that effective instructional
material promotes learning by focusing cognitive resources on learning - relevant
activities rather than on learning - adjunct processes. Cognitive load theory grew out of
research into the differences between experts and novices. See the conceptual
framework below.

The access to Nemeth Code Braille tutorial will serve as the Independent
Variable while the Academic Performance of the visually impaired Dumagat students
will be the Dependent Variable. The independent variable will be Dichotomous which
only answer if there is an accessibility or not. On the other hand, the Dependent
Variable will be Continuous as it focuses on the Academic Performance particularly the
General Weighted Average (GWA).
This study will utilize the Quantitative Research specifically the Quasi-
Experimental Method. Quasi-experimental methods that involve the creation of a
comparison group are most often used when it is not possible to randomize individuals
or groups to treatment and control groups. In this study the research will determine the
access of the Nemeth Braille Code Tutorial and compare the result to the Academic
Performance of the students.
The researcher uses the Total Population Sampling. Total population sampling a
type of purposive sampling in which the researcher chose the entire population that has
one or more shared characteristics. All the bona fide residents of Cayumbay, Tanay
Rizal which is visually impaired at least 5 to 12 years old will be the subject of this study.
The researcher will administer the Survey Method to identify the Accessibility of Nemeth
Braille Code Tutorial. Then, General Weighted Average (GWA) for the Academic
Performance of the visually impaired students.
The gathering of enough data will take place in the Sitio Cayumbay, Tanay,
Rizal. But before doing so, the researcher will request a letter to the Barangay office
and the chief- in-charge of the subject, allowing the researcher to use some specific
time and place to conduct the research. Then, the research will take a survey on the
accessibility of the Nemeth Braille Code Tutorial for visual impaired students and how
much teachers know about this – to develop and train the students. Lastly, the
researcher will observe each day about the academic performance of the students
during the use of Nemeth Braille Code Tutorial.