Incluye-T: a professional development program to increase the self-efficacy of physical educators towards inclusion

Improving Self-Efficacy Towards Inclusion in In-Service Physical Education Teachers: A Comparison between Insular and Peninsular Regions in Spain

“…Both courses were structured according to four teaching strategies that international literature has shown effective in improving both attitudes towards and knowledge of the inclusion of people with a disability [23]. First, a simulation was used in all the training sessions with the PETs, and they had to experience a disability during all the practical tasks, whether physical, sensory, or intellectual, depending on the content of the session [8]. The understanding of the limitations experienced by students with disabilities in PE sessions makes it easier for PETs to be aware of difficult situations and to better cope with these students [24,25].…”

“…The understanding of the limitations experienced by students with disabilities in PE sessions makes it easier for PETs to be aware of difficult situations and to better cope with these students [24,25]. Second, we provided the Incluye-T guide (available at Reina et al [8]), an ad hoc guide that includes information and multimedia resources, such as inclusion and instructional strategies, adaptation of activities considering several types of impairment, practical…”

“…The understanding of the limitations experienced by students with disabilities in PE sessions makes it easier for PETs to be aware of difficult situations and to better cope with these students [24,25]. Second, we provided the Incluye-T guide (available at Reina et al [8]), an ad hoc guide that includes information and multimedia resources, such as inclusion and instructional strategies, adaptation of activities considering several types of impairment, practical lessons, and infographics for all summer and winter Paralympic sports. For example, the infographic cards present a brief explanation of each para-sport, including information on the rules and the specific equipment needed for its practice, basic information about the classification system used in the para-sport, a brief biography of a local or national para-athlete and a QR code that directs the reader to a video that further explains each para-sport (e.g., Paralympics A-Z by the International Paralympic Committee).…”

“…The intervention program (Incluye-T) contains the structure and teaching skills recently described by Reina et al [8]. This training program aims to improve the SE of the participating PETs to successfully include students with a disability in PE via the development of the necessary attitude, knowledge, and skills.…”

“…In 2015, the United Nations established Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG-4), which focuses on quality education, aiming to ensure that qualified, professionally trained, motivated, and well-supported teachers are available to all students [5] and highlighting the role that teachers play in the complex education process. However, when talking about students with disabilities, studies in inclusive education have demonstrated that PETs present negative attitudes towards their inclusion, driven by their poor self-efficacy (SE) in meeting students' needs [6][7][8]. It seems clear that investing in teacher training is crucial for the effective delivery of the UNESCO Education Agenda, as teachers who present adequate subject and pedagogic content knowledge and are well-trained in the necessary skills can make a huge difference in educating students, especially those with special needs [9].…”