Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 6, 2025
A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
Published on: July 9, 2016
Improving outcomes for primary school children at risk of cerebral visual impairments (the CVI project): study
Anna Pease1, Trudy Goodenough1, Parisa Sinai1
1Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Insights
This study evaluates a new intervention to help teachers support children with cerebral visual impairment (CVI). A process evaluation will explore implementation and inform future trials for this brain-related vision disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Education
Background:
- Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) results from brain dysfunction affecting vision.
- Defining the scope of CVI remains a challenge.
- A project aims to develop and test an intervention to support children with CVI in schools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the protocol for a process evaluation of a complex intervention for teachers supporting children with CVI.
- To explore the implementation of the intervention and provide context for a feasibility trial.
- To gather data on feasibility, acceptability, and the mechanisms of change.
Main Methods:
- A logic model guides data collection.
- Mixed-methods approach using qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (surveys) data.
- Data collection includes staff/parent interviews, implementation surveys, classroom visual clutter analysis, and policy document analysis.
Main Results:
- Ethical approval obtained.
- Findings will inform a full-scale cluster-randomised controlled trial.
- Results will aid in refining the intervention and its theoretical underpinnings.
Conclusions:
- The process evaluation is crucial for understanding the feasibility and context of the CVI intervention.
- This work supports the development of a robust trial to assess intervention effectiveness.
- The findings will contribute to better support for children with CVI in educational settings.
Introduction:
Brain-related visual impairments, also known as cerebral visual impairment (CVI), are related to damage or poor function in the vision-related areas of the brain. There is broad agreement that CVI is an appropriate term to describe visual impairments that are not accounted by disorders of the eye or optic nerve, but differences remain as to which impairments can be included in this term. The CVI project is a programme of work that includes the development of a complex intervention to share knowledge with teachers, so that they can make both targeted and universal changes to support children with CVI. A feasibility study for a cluster-randomised controlled trial to evaluate this intervention is underway. This paper describes the protocol for an accompanying process evaluation to explore how the intervention is implemented and provide context for the interpretation of the feasibility trial outcomes.
Methods And Analysis:
A logic model has been developed to guide data collection. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be collected to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, the study design and explore how any changes that occur are brought about. Interviews with key primary school staff and parents will investigate responses to the intervention and trial processes. Surveys will collect data on intervention implementation and knowledge of CVI. Photographs of classroom walls will document any changes to visual clutter and document analysis will look for changes to school special educational needs and disability (SEND) policies.
Ethics And Dissemination:
Ethical approval was granted by the University of Bristol Faculty of Health Sciences Ethics Committee. Findings will contribute to the development of a full-scale cluster-randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of the intervention with adequate statistical power. The results will also support the refinement of the intervention and its underlying theory.
