How does PE change when becoming inclusive? Empirical indications concerning the view of PE teachers

Background The reform of the education system into an inclusive one requests schools to adapt school lessons so that individualized learning can be implemented successfully (Amrhein & Dziak-Mahler 2014). This normative... [ view full abstract ]

Background

The reform of the education system into an inclusive one requests schools to adapt school lessons so that individualized learning can be implemented successfully (Amrhein & Dziak-Mahler 2014). This normative demand invokes questions about the differences between non-inclusive and inclusive PE and related didactic consequences. This presentation focuses on empirical findings investigating the viewpoint of PE-teachers.

Method

We analyzed data which had been collected in a bigger investigation using a questionnaire on the attitude of PE-teachers towards inclusion (Rischke, Heim & Gröben, 2017). Besides a descriptive analysis of this data (N=790), we used variance analysis to investigate differences between PE teachers with more and less experiences in inclusive education concerning their perspective on differences between non-inclusive and inclusive PE.

Results

Findings show that all PE teachers, regardless of their experiences, point out the necessity of various changes in PE. However, the comparison between teachers working in a school with or without inclusive education shows significant differences (F_(10,643)= 1.998, p = .031, Eta² = .030): Those who already teach at inclusive schools estimate changes to be less serious.

Conclusions & Implications

Findings indicate that inclusive education entails various didactic consequences. However, differences between more and less experienced PE teachers indicate that these changes are being evaluated differently, depending on whether the evaluations are being made on the basis of experience or on the basis of expectation. These findings supplement existing results of qualitative research in this area of research (e.g. Reuker et. al, 2016).

References

Amrhein, B. & Dziak-Mahler, M. (Ed.) (2014). Fachdidaktik inklusiv. Münster: Waxmann

Reuker, S., Rischke, A., Kämpfe, A., Schmitz, B., Teubert, H., Thissen, A., et al. (2016). Inklusion im Sportunterricht. Sportwissenschaft, 46(2), 88-101

Rischke, A., Heim, C., & Gröben, B. (2017). Nur eine Frage der Haltung? German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 47(2), 149-160