Konjarski, Loretta ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2624-7493, Ambler, Trudy, Watt, Anthony ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1084-750X and Young, Janet ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0040-0691 (2025) Preparing Undergraduate Physical Education Teachers for Inclusion Through an Adapted Physical Education Unit. Journal of Disability Studies, 12 (1). pp. 24-34.

Abstract

Completing an Adapted Physical Education (APE) unit is recognised as beneficial in teacher preparation, yet limited research has explored the experiences of undergraduate physical education (UGPE) teachers who have completed such units. This study explored how participation in an APE unit enhanced UGPE teachers’ ability to meet the needs of students with a disability, with a focus on what they learned and how it shaped their teaching practice. Findings from focus groups and an online questionnaire revealed that participation in an APE unit helped to improve the UGPE teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and competencies in teaching students with a disability. UGPE teachers improved their knowledge of inclusion and diversity, were able to recognise favourable professional growth in themselves as teachers, a process of transformation that acted as a catalyst for an ongoing trajectory of learning and through enhanced self-efficacy, they became more confident and competent in teaching practical activities. Importantly, the experience also cultivated more positive attitudes towards students with disability. The study underscores the need to embed APE units within UGPE degrees and highlights the value of designing curricula that integrate theoretical foundations with substantial practical components.

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