Scheduled for Research Consortium Special Populations Poster Session, Friday, April 28, 2006, 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall Poster Area I


Physical Education Teachers' Attitudes Toward Teaching Students With Disabilities

Iva Obrusnikova, Rowan University, Blackwood, NJ

Teacher attitudes showed to play an important role in the successful inclusion of children with disabilities in general physical education (GPE). Evidence exists that various attributes can affect GPE teachers' attitudes. The purpose of this study was to extend prior research by assessing the relationship between selected GPE teacher attributes and their attitudes toward teaching students with disabilities. A total of 273 GPE teachers were selected from a sample of New Jersey schools using a stratified randomization. Of the teachers contacted, 168 (79 males and 89 females) responded (62%) to the Physical Educators' Attitude Toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities-III instrument (Rizzo, 1993). The age range was 25–62 years (M = 44, SD = 10). Years of teaching experience ranged 1–38 (M = 17, SD = 9.9). Of the 168 teachers, 81% taught elementary, 39% middle, and 8% high school level. All teachers had prior experience teaching students with disabilities, and 2% rated their experience as not good, 54% as satisfactory, and 41% as very good. Ninety two percent had completed one or more undergraduate courses in APE. When asked to rate their perceived competence in teaching students with disabilities, 6% reported not being competent at all, 52% reported being somewhat competent, and 42% reported being very competent. The results indicated that attitudes toward teaching students with disabilities were generally favorable (M = 3.39, SD = 0.77), but varied according to type of disability. Teachers were favorable toward students with specific learning disabilities (M = 3.55, SD = 0.79), sensory impairments (M = 3.50, SD = 0.82), intellectual disabilities (M = 3.48, SD = 0.81), and physical disabilities (M = 3.46, SD = 0.82), while unfavorable toward those with emotional/behavioral disorders (M= 2.95, SD = 0.77). A forward stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that perceived competence was the most significant predictor of positive attitudes [R = .52, R² = .27, F(1, 167) = 38.14, p < .000], followed by gender [R = .56., R² = .31, F(1, 167) = 23.14, p < .000], quality of experience [R = .59, R² = .33, F(1, 167) = 17.79, p < .000], and undergraduate coursework in APE [R = .62, R² = .36, F(1, 167) = 15.33, p < .000]. The findings from this study confirmed that physical education preparation and experience in working with students with disabilities are important in enhancing positive teacher attitudes toward inclusion in GPE.
Keyword(s): adapted physical activity, professional preparation, student issues

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