TEACHERS’ SUBJECTIVE THEORIES ABOUT THE EMPLOYMENT INTEGRATION THEIR BLIND STUDENTS

ABSTRACT Even though research has been conducted on the employment integration at blind people, studies have failed to consider what teachers think and know about their blind students’ difficulties entering the workforce after completing their education. The aim of this qualitative study was to understand the subjective theories of six teachers from a school in La Serena, Chile. In-depth interviews were used to collect data, which were subsequently studied using grounded theory coding procedures and subjective theory content analysis. The main finding of this study was that participants regarded the inadequate education of blind people as the key reason for their employment difficulties. This study can provide valuable information for policymakers focusing on visual impairment.