Attitudes of primary physical education teachers towards teaching pupils with disabilities

Abstract

The inclusion of students with disabilities into general physical education classes is a fast and growing trend. This study assessed the attitudes of physical educators and regular class teachers, who taught physical education in ordinary primary schools, towards teaching pupils with disabilities in regular classes. Participants' attitude was examined for eight disability conditions that exist according to the Belgian (Flemish community) special education system. 39 physical educators and regular class teachers (females n = 33; males n = 6) were involved in this study. The survey instrument used was the 'Physical Educators' Attitudes toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities-III' (PEATID-III), which assesses physical educators' attitudes towards integrating individuals with disabilities in regular classes. The results indicated that physical educators' and regular class teachers' attitudes were significantly different. Further analysis showed that perceived teaching competence was significantly correlated with attitudes. Furthermore, it was the best predictor of favourable attitudes. Significant attitudinal differences were found between physical educators with regard to age and perceived competence with regard to teaching pupils with disabilities.