Background/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine physical educators' perspectives on learning to teach students with disabilities (SWD) in general physical education (GPE).
Method: Interpretive, qualitative methods were used to examine GPE teachers' experiences prior to, during and following their teacher education program, and to understand how these experiences relate to their learning to teach SWD. Using an interview guide and extensive probing, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 physical educators from the Midwestern US. Data were analyzed inductively using constant comparison with trustworthiness sought through member checks, researcher triangulation, researcher journals, and peer debriefers.
Analysis/Results: In general, the physical educators perceived learning how to teach SWD "on-the-job" rather through pre-professional or professional socialization experiences. Four themes emerged explaining the teachers' perceptions of how they learned to teach SWD. First, the teachers' pre-professional socialization, while devoid of experiences with SWD, did not negatively or positively impact their career decision. Second, the teachers' professional socialization emphasized other aspects of teaching GPE with little to no attention to teaching SWD. Third, the teachers experienced reality shock during their early teaching experiences with SWD in their GPE classes. Teachers perceived these early experiences to be significant in shaping their current teaching behaviors. Finally, with no available assistance from an adapted physical education specialist, the teachers perceived feelings of isolation.
Conclusions: From the perspectives shared, GPE teachers' learning of how to teach SWD appears to occur primarily outside of their teacher education program and without support from other educators/specialists.
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