What sort of ‘inclusion’ is Continuing Professional Development promoting? An investigation of a national CPD programme for inclusive physical education

Abstract

Inclusion is positioned at the forefront of global educational reform. The study reported focused on a national Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme for Inclusive Physical Education (IPE) in England. The research was designed to critically explore how CPD providers (i.e. tutors) variously conceptualised and practiced inclusion in the context of running a day-long CPD course for physical education teachers. Using qualitative methodology, data were collected via course observations (n = 27), informal interviews with tutors (n = 10), and a tutor questionnaire (n = 18). Findings suggest that although tutors' theoretical interpretations of inclusion were largely consistent with contemporary, broad understandings, there was notable variability and inherent tensions in the ways they talked about and enacted inclusion in practice. In many instances, inclusion was infused with particular perceptions about ability and ability grouping. Only a small number of tutors encouraged teachers to question and 'disturb' their current practices. Findings from this research extend insights into the contested nature of inclusion in contemporary PE and highlight the need for research to engage with multiple stakeholders in physical education teaching and CPD. This research reflects that CPD providers have a key role to play in extending teachers' understandings of inclusive pedagogy.

Including students with physical disabilities in physical education in Singapore: Perspectives of peers without disabilities

“…Central to the importance of students without disabilities in integrated PE may be the role that they can play in the establishment of positive social interactions and friendship building with peers with disabilities (Makopoulou et al, 2019;Seymour et al, 2009;Wong et al, 2015). Positive social interactions and friendship building between students with and without disabilities are often-cited benefits of education in heterogeneous PE contexts (Qi and Ha, 2012;Seymour et al, 2009).…”

Determinantes para uma Educação Física Inclusiva: perceção de um conjunto de professores especialistas em inclusão (Determinants for an Inclusive Physical Education: perception of a group of specialist teachers in inclusion) (Determinantes para una Educación Física Inclusiva: percepción de un grupo de docentes especialistas en inclusión)

“…O professor de educação física também teria de ter formação adequada para isso. (Professor 4) Tal como é destacado pelos nossos docentes especialistas, um dos pré-requisitos para a eficácia pedagógica inclusiva e consequente sucesso dos processos inclusivos em EF, reside, também, na participação em programas de formação contínua que sejam relevantes e significativos para as suas práticas letivas inclusivas (Granell et al, 2021;Makopoulou et al, 2019) o que por vezes não acontece.…”

The Role of Bali State Polytechnic as Social Problem Solver in Bali

“…Structural factor is a situation which affects the type of social structure in society, in which that structure consists of certain patterns. Effective policy can support evidence-based interventions, modern training programs, and tangible strategies for improving both social skills and adolescent mental health [10][11]. Inclusion is positioned at the forefront of global educational reform.…”