The Influence of Perceived Social Support and Self-Esteem on Academic Performance of Students with Visual Impairment in Middle Schools of Dessie City, Ethiopia

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of perceived social support and self-esteem on the academic performance of students with visual impairment in selected middle schools of the Dessie city administration. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A sample size of 50 respondents was selected. Comprehensive sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 50 SWVI and 5 middle schools. Data was collected using questionnaires and tests. Descriptive statistics (such as frequencies, mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum scores, and cross-tabulation) and inferential statistics (such as Correlation and multiple regression analysis) techniques were used to analyze data. The study found that perceived social support and self-esteem were positively and significantly correlated to visually impaired students' academic performance. In addition, self-esteem and perceived social support had a positive linearly significant predictive value for the academic performance of students with visual impairment (B = 8.515, p = 0.001 < 0.05) and (B = 3.463, p = 0.007 < 0.05) respectively. The study recommends visually impaired students develop positive and caring relationships with their parents, friends, and significant others which promote their academic performance. Moreover, the study recommends the need for students with visual impairment to increase their level of self-esteem; they should establish good social relationships, involve themselves in activities, and make a habit of noticing the good things in their lives.