Youth Leisure-Time Physical Activity From the Perspectives of Young Adults With Visual Impairments

The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning that young adults with visual impairments ascribe to their youth leisure-time physical activity experiences. This study adopted an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) research approach. Ten participants (aged 21-34 years; eight women, two men) with visual impairments were included in this study. Semi-structured, audio-taped telephone interviews acted as the primary source of data for this study. Data were analyzed thematically using a four-step process informed by IPA and three interrelated themes were constructed: (a) I just always felt normal when I was doing them : Preferences for unstructured activities, (b) They didn\u27t baby me : Importance of supportive parents, and (c) They didn\u27t know how to deal with my disability : Comparing stakeholders in integrated versus self-contained sport . The participants described a strong preference for unstructured physical activities and reported that support from parents was critical in allowing them to enjoy physical activities during youth

The Effects of Education and Experience on the Attitudes of Pre-service Physical Educators toward Teaching Children with Disabilities

The education of children with disabilities has changed dramatically since 1970. Litigation and legislation have guaranteed students with disabilities a free and appropriate public education in an environment which would be least restrictive. This has placed some students with teachers who may not have a positive attitude toward teaching children with disabilities. Research has identified several variables which effect an educators' attitude toward teaching children with disabilities- the two most prominent being previous experience and education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of education and experience on the attitudes of pre-service physical education educators toward teaching children with disabilities. Pre-service physical educators from The College at Brockport, State University of New York, who were enrolled in an introduction to adapted physical education course, were asked to complete a modified version of the Physical Educators' Attitudes toward Teaching the Handicapped (PEATH) questionnaire before and after their experience in the course, which included field experience. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in the pre-service teachers' attitudes toward teaching children with disabilities before and after the course. Even though results were not significant, there was a trend toward pre-service attitudes becoming more favorable. The trend suggests that higher education institutions can create a positive and effective adapted physical education course in physical education teacher preparation courses that may increase positive attitudes. The lack of significance suggests that more can be done to continue to improve attitude.SUNY BrockportKinesiology, Sport Studies and Physical EducationMaster of Science (MS)Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education Master’s These

The Effects of Education and Experience on the Attitudes of Pre-service Physical Educators toward Teaching Children with Disabilities

The education of children with disabilities has changed dramatically since 1970. Litigation and legislation have guaranteed students with disabilities a free and appropriate public education in an environment which would be least restrictive. This has placed some students with teachers who may not have a positive attitude toward teaching children with disabilities. Research has identified several variables which effect an educators\u27 attitude toward teaching children with disabilities- the two most prominent being previous experience and education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of education and experience on the attitudes of pre-service physical education educators toward teaching children with disabilities. Pre-service physical educators from The College at Brockport, State University of New York, who were enrolled in an introduction to adapted physical education course, were asked to complete a modified version of the Physical Educators\u27 Attitudes toward Teaching the Handicapped (PEATH) questionnaire before and after their experience in the course, which included field experience. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in the pre-service teachers\u27 attitudes toward teaching children with disabilities before and after the course. Even though results were not significant, there was a trend toward pre-service attitudes becoming more favorable. The trend suggests that higher education institutions can create a positive and effective adapted physical education course in physical education teacher preparation courses that may increase positive attitudes. The lack of significance suggests that more can be done to continue to improve attitude

Three-Year Health-Related Fitness Knowledge Growth in One Curriculum Context: Impact of Sociodemographic Factors

Purpose: This study aims to (a) examine elementary school students\u27 health-related fitness knowledge growth under one curriculum condition and (b) examine the impacts of student/school-level factors on health-related fitness knowledge and its growth rate in physical education. Method: We used an observational, longitudinal repeated-measures design, and conducted analyses on an existing dataset. Participants were 7,479 third, fourth, and fifth graders (48.9% girls) from 152 elementary schools. Measures were a knowledge test and sex at the student level, and socioeconomic data, academic performance, and student–faculty ratio at the school level. We ran three-level hierarchical linear models on the data. Results: Fitness knowledge growth was found to form a quadratic curve from third through fifth grades. School-level academic performance was positively associated with fitness knowledge. Sex was not associated with fitness knowledge or knowledge growth rate. Discussion: These findings contribute to the understanding of health-related fitness knowledge growth among elementary students

Gopher FITStep Pro Accuracy When Measuring Steps and Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity

Background: The Gopher FITStep Pro (GFSP) is a commercially available objective physical activity monitor that records steps taken and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the GFSP for measuring steps taken in a guided walking condition and MVPA during planned fitness activities. Method: University-aged participants (N = 35, Mage = 20) wore two GFSP (right and left side) pedometers and one ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer during both conditions. Results: Paired samples t-tests determined that self-step counts in the guided walking condition were not significantly different than the right side GFSP (p =.084) but were significantly different from the left side GFSP (p =.006). Mean absolute percent error (MAPE) was less than 3% between self-step counts with the left (1.9%) and right side GFPS (1.7%). However, MVPA estimates were significantly different between the GT3X+ accelerometer and the left side and right side GFSP (p \u3c.001). High MAPE occurred between the GT3X+ accelerometer with the left (51%) and right side GFSP (41%) in the planned fitness activity condition. Conclusion: The GFSP may be an appropriate instrument for estimating steps, however users should be cautious when consuming MVPA estimates for educational, research, or health-related purposes

Undergraduate Kinesiology Students\u27 Experiences in Online Motor Development Courses

The purpose of this study was to investigate kinesiology students\u27 experiences in an undergraduate online life span motor development course. This study was based on a theory of transactional distance (Moore, 1997). Seven undergraduate kinesiology majors (5 females, 2 males) enrolled in an online course at a Midwestern public university in the US participated in this study. Data collection included face-to-face, open-ended interviews, bulletin board discussion logs, and online assessment projects. A constant comparative method was used to interpret the data, which allowed themes to emerge from the data as well as from the theoretical framework. Three interrelated themes emerged from the students\u27 narratives: rigors and flexibility in online course learning, peer feedback experiences, and video assessment analysis. The results of this study demonstrate that undergraduate students can have independent learning styles and kinesthetic characteristics and concepts when enrolled in online life span motor development coursework. Online kinesiology courses should be centered on a set of student tasks (lectures, projects, and assignments) that constitute learning experiences that engage students, either independently and collaboratively, in order for them to master the objectives of the course (Carr-Chellman & Duchastel, 2001)

The Authenticity of Disability Simulations Through Empathetic Imagings: The Perspectives of Visually Impaired People

In this article, we amplify the voices of visually impaired people to explore the authenticity of simulating visual impairment (VI) as a means of developing empathy among sighted student teachers. Participants were nine visually impaired adults who read vignettes narrating simulation experiences of student teachers in a university setting before being interviewed. Interviews were conducted via telephone, and were recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically. The discussed themes are: (1) Involving visually impaired people in simulations increases authenticity; (2) Visual impairment is too diverse and complex to be authentically replicated; (3) The suddenness and duration of the simulations are inauthentic; and (4) Removal of blindfolds compromises the authenticity of the experience. Most of our participants were sceptical that VI could ever be authentically simulated because it was too diverse and complex for sighted people to embody. However, given its potential for facilitating the pedagogical learning of student teachers, we propose the involvement of disabled people in the construction and, if possible, delivery of disability simulations and a change of focus relating to the aim, purpose and claims made about disability simulations. Specifically, we encourage a move away from endeavouring to simulate VI in order to live and embody it, towards teacher educators working with visually impaired people and using equipment such as blindfold and VI glasses to facilitate pedagogical learning that may be of value when teaching visually impaired and sighted pupils. In short, we should not claim to “simulate VI” but rather use specialist equipment for pedagogical purposes

Conceptualizing and Problematizing Inclusion Porn in Education Scholarship and Practice

Discourses of inclusion are currently used without clear and consistent meaning and multiple and varied interpretations exist, therefore stunting our ability to enhance or utilize the concept in social justice and education scholarship and practice. In this article, we argue that the ambiguous, conflicting, and contested features of inclusion have opened a door for nondisabled policy makers, academics, practitioners, and other stakeholders to exploit the concept of inclusion by crafting the logics and taken-for-granted assumptions that become associated with it. Accordingly, these nondisabled stakeholders gain social, cultural, and symbolic capital in the fields that they operate, while (some) disabled students are objectification and exploited. Accordingly, we utilize existing empirical literature to conceptualize and problematize inclusion porn in education scholarship and practice through a comparison to the key features of porn. We do this to offer inclusion porn as a conceptual tool for education practitioners and scholars to think with so that they can reflexively consider and interrogate their own ideologies, discourses, practices, and common-sense logics relating to ‘inclusion’

A Continuum of Paraeducator Support for Utilization in Adapted Physical Education

This article describes three different ways of using paraeducators during adapted physical education. (1.) Having paraeducators read a portion of the lesson plan that describes the desired support towards lesson objectives. Paraeducators then assist all students when needed. (2.) Assigning specific modifications for paraeducators through the IEP process. These modifications maybe designed for a single child and listed in the lesson plan. The paraeducator then provides specific support for a particular child. (3.) Using video modeling to create media clips for paraeducators to view prior to assisting children during the lesson. The media clips include modeling of key lesson concepts aimed at helping paraeducators understand physical education activities that a child is expected to accomplish during the lesson. The physical educator is then free to attend to other learners with different needs during portions of the lesson. Recommendations for using video technology are provided

Fear or Freedom? Visually Impaired Students\u27 Ambivalent Perspectives on Physical Education

With a growing interest in sport, fitness, and a healthy lifestyle, bodily practices are increasing in importance in our society. In the school context, physical education (PE) is the subject where these practices play a central role. But, the German language discourse shows in an exemplary manner that inherent body-related social normality requirements are articulated in didactic traditions and curricular requirements, and that these normality requirements have exclusionary potential for those students who do not fit into the norms. Against this background, this article seeks to understand children with visual impairments’ (CWVI’s) individual constructions of PE in a school specialized for CWVI in Germany. This interview study with eight CWVI focused on individual opportunities and challenges concerning central aspects in PE. The findings show that the CWVI draw ambivalent perspectives on PE that range from existential fears (e.g., fears of heights) to feeling free in working off energy. These aspects especially gain importance in connection to the body, when the general wish to learn and experience with the body seems to be disturbed by normality requirements – like doing certain movements in a pre-defined way – which lead to existential challenges for the CWVI. Further, the relationship between blind and visually impaired students in PE seems ambivalent. Within this special school setting, the segregation according to the external differentiation in “handicapped” and “non-handicapped” somehow leads to a kind of subsegregation at the blind and visually impaired school