Introduction:

The expanded core curriculum (ECC) refers to the generally accepted nine areas of instruction that children who are visually impaired (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision) must learn through explicit instruction in order to live independently as adults. Children with visual impairments must experience immersion in the ECC in their daily lives throughout the year rather than only being taught these skills during the school year by teachers of students with visual impairments. Therefore, this research was undertaken to determine whether athletes attending Camp Abilities, a sports camp for children with visual impairments, experienced new ECC skills or practiced previously learned ECC skills and if so, how.

Method:

Researchers chose to interview 10 athletes from a purposeful sample of 30 children who had previously attended camp. The 10 coaches who worked with these athletes one-on-one participated in focus group discussions at the end of the weeklong camp. In addition, all athletes and coaches attending camp listed their thoughts on posters describing how all athletes attending experienced areas of the ECC. Finally, researchers documented observations of athletes’ opportunities to practice ECC content throughout the weeklong program. Researchers transcribed interviews and focus group discussions and reviewed for themes relating to ECC areas that were part of the students’ lived experience during camp.

Results:

Three major conclusions emerged from reviews of the interviews, discussion group transcripts, posters, and observations: (1) athletes and coaches were initially unclear about what the ECC areas were and how the athletes experienced the ECC in their everyday academic and home activities; (2) following clarification of the ECC areas, the athletes came to recognize how they learned and applied ECC skills during the camp experience; and (3) a more structured instructional approach to applying the ECC at camp may further enhance their experiences.

Discussion:

The youth participants were not able to list and describe all of the ECC areas when interviewed at the end of camp. However, adult participants (coaches) listed most ECC areas and described how athletes experienced the ECC during camp in their focus group discussions. Once researchers clarified ECC areas for athletes, they identified self-determination, recreation and leisure, social interaction, and independent living as the areas of the ECC most often experienced during camp.

Implications for practitioners:

Practitioners need to pay attention to structured learning of the ECC areas and consider articulating for students which areas overlap in their everyday lives, so that they are fully aware of the multiple skills they are acquiring. Camp Abilities is a functional way for youths with visual impairments to experience all areas of the ECC.

中文翻译：

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营员在营地能力中体验的扩展核心课程领域：定性研究

介绍：

扩展核心课程（ECC）指被普遍接受的九个教学领域，视力障碍的儿童（即，盲人或视力低下的儿童）必须通过明确的指导学习才能成年后独立生活。视障儿童必须在全年的日常生活中沉浸在ECC中，而不是仅在学年中由视障学生的老师教这些技能。因此，进行这项研究是为了确定参加营地能力训练，视力障碍儿童运动营地的运动员是否经历了新的ECC技能或练习过以前学过的ECC技能，如果是，则如何进行。

方法：

研究人员选择从有目的的30名以前参加过营地的儿童样本中采访10名运动员。与这些运动员一对一合作的10位教练在为期一周的训练营结束后参加了焦点小组讨论。此外，所有参加训练营的运动员和教练在海报上列出了他们的想法，描述了所有参加ECC经验丰富地区的运动员的方式。最后，研究人员记录了在整个为期一周的计划中运动员练习ECC内容的机会的观察结果。研究人员记录访谈和焦点小组讨论的内容，并审查与ECC领域相关的主题，这些主题是学生在营地中的生活经历的一部分。

结果：

从访谈，讨论组笔录，海报和观察的评论中得出三个主要结论：（1）运动员和教练最初不清楚ECC领域是什么，以及运动员在日常的学术和家庭活动中如何体验ECC；（2）在澄清了ECC领域之后，运动员开始认识到他们在训练营体验中如何学习和应用ECC技能；（3）在营地应用ECC的更具结构性的教学方法可以进一步增强他们的体验。

讨论：

在营地结束时，青年参与者无法列出并描述所有ECC区域。但是，成年参与者（教练）列出了大多数ECC区域，并在他们的焦点小组讨论中描述了运动员在训练营中如何体验ECC。一旦研究人员为运动员澄清了ECC区域，他们就将自决，娱乐和休闲，社交互动和独立生活作为营地中最常遇到的ECC区域。

对从业者的启示：

从业人员需要注意ECC领域的结构化学习，并考虑为学生阐明日常生活中哪些领域重叠，以便他们充分了解所学的多种技能。营地能力训练是有视力障碍的年轻人体验ECC各个领域的一种实用方式。