Kajsa Jerlinder

Swedish Primary School Teachers' attitudes to inclusion : The case of PE and pupils with physical disabilities

Teachers play a decisive role in making inclusive education a reality. The particular case of inclusion in physical education (PE) poses a specific challenge to teaching practice. How PE teachers view inclusion may provide special insights into teachers’ general attitudes toward inclusion and inclusive practices in the general school curriculum. The aim of this study is to investigate Swedish PE teachers’ attitudes to inclusion of pupils with physical disabilities in mainstream PE classes at primary school. The sampling frame was members of the Swedish Teachers’ Union who had registered themselves as PE teachers and who indicated a current e‐mail address (n = 560). Respondents were invited to complete an e‐mail questionnaire with questions covering demographics, general attitudes, support from school management and staff, possible hindrances and personal experiences of inclusion. A total of 221 teachers (39%) responded, equal numbers of males and females with a bimodal age distribution (means of 28 and 44) with an average of eight years of service. On average, Swedish PE teachers are very positive to inclusion of pupils with physical disabilities into general PE. Gender, age, years of service and work satisfaction had no impact on general opinions of inclusive PE. PE teachers with actual previous experience of teaching pupils with physical disabilities were slightly more positive to inclusive PE. Stepwise multiple regressions were used to establish a predictive model of positive attitudes to inclusion based on: (1) having adequate training; (2) having general school support (from management and staff); and (3) demands on resources. This yielded an adjusted R 2 that explained 33% of variation in attitudes.

Normative approaches to justice in physical education for pupils with physical disabilities : dilemmas of recognition and redistribution

Seeking social justice in education for pupils with disabilities creates certain dilemmas. A ‘school for all’ means that educators are faced with the dilemma whereby the notion of ‘disability’ is perceived as ought not to matter but where in actual fact it seems to matter very much! This article explores ways out of this general educational dilemma using the context of physical education (PE) for pupils with physical disabilities within the compulsory school as an example. Justice theories of resource distribution and cultural recognition affect educational outcomes, where the demand is for justice and equity. Fraser’s notion of ‘social status’, together with a pluralistic approach to identities where personal experiences are given a place, is used to suggest a solution to the dilemma. It is concluded that a redistribution of economic resources and social recognition is necessary if social justice within PE is to become a reality.

Cooperative oriented learning in inclusive physical education

In this study the implementation of cooperation directed learning of peer tutoring in elementary general inclusive physical education (GPE) setting in three elementary city schools in Sweden was studied. The purpose was to assess the impact of peer tutoring on the interaction behaviours between students with and without disabilities in GPE. A design of multiple case study with elementary school age students with moderate disabilities (n = 4) was used. Peer tutors (n = 37) were students without disabilities who voluntary participated in a peer tutor training programme. The programme included the collaborative learning values, teaching instructions and communication skills served as the independent measure. Dependent measures were multiple interactions between students with and without disabilities. Data to the case studies were collected through a design of mixed methods, containing both quantitative and qualitative data. Totally 43 observation sessions of inclusive GPE settings were collected on videotapes and analysed using the Computerized Evaluation Protocol of Interactions in Physical Education (CEPI-PE). In addition, interviews with school personnel and children served as a complementary study outcome. The percentage of interactions between target students and peer tutors significantly increased (3.2–11.8%, respectively, p < .05) during peer tutor intervention. This study indicated that peer tutor arrangements can contribute the successful cooperation between students with and without disabilities in inclusive GPE in Swedish elementary school. All four students with moderate disabilities maintained high percentage of activities done independently throughout baseline and intervention phase (50.5 and 57.6%, accordingly). Qualitative data throughout field notes and interviews with school personnel and pupils confirmed a positive class climate change and improvement in peer relation culture.

Perceptions of Physical Activity Participation Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Conceptual Model of Conditional Participation

Adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are less physically active compared to typically developing peers. The reasons for not being physically active are complex and depend on several factors, which have not been comprehensively described from the adolescent’s perspective. Therefore, the aim was to describe how adolescents with an ASD perceive, experience and reflect on their participation in physical activity. Interviews with 24 adolescents diagnosed with high-functioning ASD, aged 12–16 years, were analysed with qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach. They expressed a variety of reasons determining their willingness to participate, which were conceptualized as: Conditional participation in physical activities. The present study presents an alternative perspective on participation in physical activity, with impact on intervention design.