Background/Purpose A growing amount of research has focused on the educational and attitudinal benefits associated with integration of service learning in adapted physical education (APE) coursework (Sherrill, 2004). Providing students the opportunity to obtain direct experience teaching and working with students with disabilities has the potential to enhance their understanding of and sensitivity to individuals with disabilities. According to contact theory (Allport, 1954), positive attitudinal change can result from direct interactions between students with and without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine Kinesiology undergraduate students' perceptions of an adapted physical education service learning experience.
Method Six female and three male undergraduate Kinesiology students participated in two focus groups interviews after the completion of an APE course. The focus group interview questions focused on the participants' attitudes toward individuals with disabilities and how their attitudes were affected by participation in the service learning project.
Analysis/Results Interview data were transcribed verbatim and inductively analyzed following procedures outlined by Strauss and Corbin (1998). Each of the following five themes emerged from the interviews: (a) initial fears and apprehensions, (b) perceptions of ability of children with disabilities, (c) attitudinal change and (d) recommendations for future service learning experiences within APE.
Conclusions Based upon the findings, service learning, when planned and structured, is an appropriate teaching method to use in APE courses to promote contact between individuals with and without disabilities. Such contact, when positive, has the potential to promote attitudinal change and increase sensitivity toward individuals with disabilities.
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