Including Students with Disabilities in a Physical Education Teacher Preparation Program: An Institutional Perspective

The increasing number of students with disabilities who have the goal of becoming a teacher in either elementary or high school is one of the challenges we are currently facing at the academic colleges of education in Israel. In this chapter, we address the inclusion challenge, namely how we have taken up the challenge to modify one existing teacher preparation program (TPP) in physical education (PE) to enable students with disabilities to study at the same level as the other students who are enrolled in the program. The chapter is composed of four sections. In the first section, we introduce the term inclusive education, elaborate upon its concepts, and highlight a number of developmental phases associated with this term. In the second section, we present the theoretical background and the practical frameworks of an inclusive pedagogy. In the third section, we describe a number of actions taken in one college that enabled students with disabilities to enroll in a PE TPP. In the fourth section, we conclude our discussion and provide a number of ideas for future research, in order to strengthen the understanding of how to integrate students with disabilities in PE TPP

Attitudes and Self-Efficacy of Arabic-speaking Physical Education Teachers in Israel toward Including Children with Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and self-efficacy (SE) of physical education (PE) teachers in the Arabic-speaking educational sector in Israel toward including children with disability in their classes, utilizing translated questionnaires. The specific goals were (a) to describe the structure and internal consistency of the responses to the Attitudes Toward Inclusion in Physical Education (ATIPE) and Situation Specific Self-Efficacy (SE-ASPE) questionnaires of an Arabic-speaking PE teachers' sample, (b) to assess the effect of selected background variables on attitudes and SE in the study population, (c) to determine the association between SE and attitudes toward including children with disabilities in PE in the study population, and (d) to describe the differences in PE teachers' SE toward including children with different disabilities. The results indicated a bi-dimensional factor structure of the ATIPE and an unidimensional structure of each of the SE-ASPE subscales: intellectual disability (ID), physical disability (PD), and visual impairment (VI), and confirmed an internal reliability. The impact of background variables on attitudes and SE indicated that females had more favorable attitudes and SE than males, age had a small significant impact, training, and experience in inclusion of children with disability had a significant impact. Finally, it was found that the SE toward including children with VI was lower than toward ID and PD.  Based on our findings it can be recommended that the training processes be strengthened, and include continuous education workshops on inclusion with an emphasis on VI

Physical and Psychological Effects of Aquatic Therapy in Participants After Hip-Joint Replacement: A Pilot Study

The purpose was to measure the outcome effects of a hydrotherapy program lasting 12 sessions on the rehabilitation of participants following joint replacement because of arthritis-related conditions. Sixteen volunteers at a postrehabilitation stage (15 women and 1 man, mean age 56.7 + 6.5 y) participated in a quasi-experimental design with simple interrupted time series aimed at improving range of motion around the hip joints, mobility (Berg Balance Scale, BBS), walking velocity in the timed up-and-go test (TUG) and scores on a quality-of-life scale (SF-36). One-way ANOVA statistics showed a significant effect between the pre- and posttest outcomes without differences between baseline and pretest for the extension and abduction of the operated hip, the BBS, the TUG, and the summary measures of the SF-36 (general, physical, and mental health). Findings suggest significant effects of the proposed treatment across the variables measured in participants with joint transplantations

Global matrix of Para Report Cards on physical activity of children and adolescents with disabilities

This is an overview of the results from 14 countries or jurisdictions in a Global Matrix of Para Report Cards on physical activity (PA) of children and adolescents with disabilities. The methodology was based on the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance's Global Matrix 4.0. Data were aligned with 10 indicators (Overall PA, Organized Sport, Active Play, Active Transport, Physical Fitness, Sedentary Behavior, Family & Peers, Schools, Community & Environment, and Government) to produce Para Report Cards. Subsequently, there were 139 grades; 45% were incomplete, particularly for Active Play, Physical Fitness, and Family & Peers. Collectively, Overall PA was graded the lowest (F), with Schools and Government the highest (C). Disability-specific surveillance and research gaps in PA were apparent in 14 countries or jurisdictions around the world. More coverage of PA data in Para Report Cards is needed to serve as an advocacy tool to promote PA among children and adolescents with disabilities

Une échelle d'auto-efficacité pour les situations de handicap

Présentation des modalités de construction et de validation d'un outil d'auto-efficacité conforme aux recommandations de Bandura, afin de mesurer l'auto-efficacité des professeurs d'éducation physique en formation au regard de l'inclusion en éducation physique des élèves avec déficiences intellectuelles, visuelles ou physiques

Relation of functional physical impairment and goal perspectives of wheelchair basketball players

Relation entre le système de classification fonctionnelle selon la sévérité du handicap en basket-ball handisport et le profil de motivation mesuré par le Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (Duda, 1989) chez des joueurs en fauteuil pratiquant en compétition

Organized Sport Participation and Physical Activity Levels among Adolescents with Functional Limitations

Sufficient and regular physical activity is considered a protective factor, reducing the onset of secondary disability conditions in adolescents with chronic diseases and functional limitations. The aim of this study was to explore whether participation in organized sport may be associated to higher levels of physical activity in adolescents with functional limitations, based on a national representative sample. Data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study collected in Finland from two data collection rounds (2002 and 2010) were conducted and pooled from adolescents aged between 13 and 15 years old with functional limitations (n = 1041). Differences in self-reported physical activity over the past week and participation in organized sport activity were analysed for each function. Overall, four in ten (n = 413) participated in organized sport and were significantly (p < 0.001) more physically active (mean = 4.92days, SD = 1.81) than their non-participating (mean = 3.29, SD = 1.86) peers with functional limitations. Despite low population prevalence, adolescents with epilepsy or visual impairments were the least active if they were not participating in organized sport, yet were the most active if they were involved in organized sport. Participating in organized sport appears to be an important factor promoting resources for maintaining recommended levels of physical activity in Finnish adolescents with functional limitations.peerReviewe

Validity and reliability of a Lithuanian physical education teachers’ self-efficacy scale toward inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorders

Background. Teacher’s perceptions of Self-efficacy (SE) have been suggested as an important factor in the successful inclusion of students with special educational needs. The purposes of this study were (a) to investigate the validity and reliability of the instrument of physical education teachers’ self-efficacy toward the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (PESEISD-A), using a Lithuanian physical education (PE) teachers’ sample, and (b) to assess relationships between SE scale and subscales. Methods. The English version of the instrument was translated into Lithuanian using the back-translation technique. The participants were 368 PE teachers working in Lithuanian schools (152 males and 216 females), aged between 24 and 65 years (M = 47.09; SD = 9.06). The content and construct validity of the instrument were supported. Results. The results of the factor analysis indicated a one-factor solution for the scale’s SE. Cronbach’s alpha reliability of SE scale and all other subscales was high (α > .93). Test-retest correlation analysis showed a satisfactory coefficient. In this study, positive and significant relationships between SE scale, mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, physiological state, behaviour, and perceived challenges subscales were determined (p < .01). Conclusions. The Lithuanian version of the PESEISD-A appears to be a valid and reliable instrument, enabling future research on Lithuanian PE teachers