Provision of education services for children with visual impairment (CVI) in Tanzania started in 1950 (Bagandanshwa, 1997, 1999, 2004; Karakosky and Strom, 2005; Mnyanyi, 2007), however, most of the training of teachers remained catering the needs of non-disabled children. Of the teaching force in Tanzania only 0.9% has training in providing education services to children with different types of disabilities (Karakosky and Strom, 2005; Mnyanyi, 2007). In that, largely, education services for children with visual impairment are managed by people without knowledge and skills in special education (Bagandanshwa, 2004). Therefore there is a need to understand how ordinary teachers provide education services to children with visual impairment for the purpose of developing their knowledge and skills in teaching and learning environment where there are diverse learners, learners with and without visual impairment. The paper reports research findings from experience of teachers teaching pupils with and without visual impairment accommodated in ordinary schools in Tanzania. The schools under study have other challenges like few teachers ordinary teachers without knowledge in special needs education, large class sizes with inadequate classroom provisions (e.g., desks, books, and teaching aids) and having no funds to procure teaching aids for the children with visual impairment. With the belief that when teachers are involved in improving their classroom practices in a collaborative learning environment that involves study groups, reflective dialogue, coaching and guided practice; their children achievement also increases (Hatfield, 2006; Fullan, 2001; Joyce and Showers, 2002) the researcher uses action research in developing teachers knowledge and skills using their already existing knowledge and experience in teaching children with visual impairment. It is important, therefore, to encourage alternatives to the current improvement strategies of classroom practices. We have to change from the institutional training of teachers to the training-based on professional activities in their working environment. One of the strategies is for individual teacher and school in collaboration with external or internal experts to improve their classroom practice through action research. This is in line with the argument put forward by Black-Hawkins, Florian and Rouse (2007) about the challenges of raising the achievement of all children, whilst safeguarding the inclusion of those few who are more vulnerable to process of exclusion from mainstream schools. In making sure that all children benefit from general education there is much to be done by teachers who work in schools that accommodate children with visual impairment. The research is guided by the following research questions: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the teachers’ classroom practices in ordinary classroom accommodating children with visual impairment as perceived by the teachers, parents, and children? What are current constraints faced by ordinary teachers in teaching and learning of children with visual impairment? How do ordinary teachers overcome constraints facing them in teaching and learning of children with visual impairment? What are the available opportunities for improving their teaching and learning of children with visual impairment? What are the issues which should be explored and addressed to improve the teaching and learning of children with visual impairment accommodated in ordinary school? This paper draws literature in relation to action research, visual impairment, teacher development programmes in Tanzania, and teachers' work for the purpose of documenting the ordinary teachers experience in teaching children with visual impairment accomodated in an ordinary school in developing countries where large class size means around 100 pupils per class.

This study uses action research geared at developing teachers' work for improving teaching in ordinary primary schools accommodating children with visual impairment by exploring current situation, creating an intervention program and making reflection on the intervention program in collaboration with the teachers. The information from teachers and pupils is gathered with the goals of gaining insight, developing reflective practice, effecting positive changes in the school environment and on educational practice in general for the purpose of improving children outcomes. This focus directs the study to action research design (Adelman, 1985; Carr and Kemmis, 1986; Oja and Smulyan, 1989; Elliot, 1991; Mills, 2003). Subjects in the study are all teachers teaching an ordinary primary school where a pupils with visual impairment is accomodated, all children with with visual impairment accommodated in ordinary primary class and all children without visual impairment studying in the same class with the visually impaired children. Instruments of data collection are interviews, questionnaires, classroom observation and documentary reviews. These data collection methods allows for triangulation.

As this research is still in process, this paper will focus on a critical analysis of the findings regarding teachers’ practices in ordinary classroom accommodating pupils with visual impairment. The practices include lesson planning, lesson presentation, classroom organisation, assessment practices, and preparation and use of teaching aids. Furthermore, the way teachers solve teaching – learning problems encountered in their daily work will also be explored and discussed. The discussion will focus on how collaborative action research can be used in developing teachers’ knowledge and skills in teaching children with visual impairment accommodated in ordinary schools. The research findings are expected to make a contribution to both local and international level. At local level teachers and educational administrators will make use of the findings to improve the access of children with visual impairment to education. At international level, this research aims to enrich the existing literature in inclusion as it is an example of teacher training programme for inclusion which is closely related to the identified needs of the participants, where participants participate fully in creating more knowledge and skills on inclusion.