Professor Anthony Maher

The Code of Practice of the Department for Education (1994) establishes the role of special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) to help facilitate the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools. SENCOs, thus, should form an integral part of the culture of all departments, including physical education (PE). This paper draws on the concept of hegemony to examine the processes and practices that shape the experiences and views of SENCOs and ultimately, the extent to which they facilitate an inclusive culture in PE. Our findings, generated via an online survey, suggested that most SENCOs are not a part of the senior management team (SMT) and do not have control of the SEN budget. The majority of SENCOs acknowledge, and often reinforce, the hegemonic status of English, mathematics and science vis-à-vis the prioritisation of SEN resources, which may constrain the ability of teachers to provide meaningful experiences for pupils with SEN in other subjects, such as PE. While 93% of SENCOs did not have PE-specific training for their role, 52% suggested that the learning support assistants (LSAs) in their school are not adequately trained to include pupils with SEN in PE. This is perhaps surprising, given that it is SENCOs themselves who are largely responsible for the training of LSAs. In conclusion, from the evidence provided by SENCOs, PE does not appear to constitute a significant dimension of their training programmes and SENCOs themselves may further subordinate PE, in the process of training LSAs. This may call into question the ability of both SENCOs and LSAs to contribute to the cultivation of an inclusive culture in PE.

This article, by A nthony M aher of the U niversity of C entral L ancashire, explores, from the perspective of SENC os and learning support assistants ( LSAs ) in north‐west E ngland, the perceived adequacy of Statements of special educational needs as they relate to physical education ( PE ). The findings, generated via online surveys, suggest that most SENC os and some LSAs believe that Statements are appropriate for all curricular subjects, with PE being no different. Thus, two groups who play an integral role in facilitating the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream secondary schools in England do not differentiate between classroom based and more physically orientated subjects such as PE , which could have a negative impact on the experiences of pupils with special educational needs in PE because of the contextual and dynamic nature of special educational needs. Indeed, because most Statements do not provide PE‐specific information or learning targets, teachers and LSAs are often unable to collaboratively plan and deliver inclusive lessons or monitor and evaluate the progress made by Statemented pupils in PE .

The research aimed to examine primary teachers' experiences using inclusive pedagogy to serve bilingual pupils with dyslexia. Nine international elementary teachers participated in the study conducted at The International School, a multilingual International Baccalaureate (IB) institution in the United Arab Emirates. The school placed significant emphasis on fostering language and cultural diversity by implementing a dual-language education approach and offering a biliteracy curriculum in both English and French/German. Teachers' perspectives were gathered through qualitative interviewing and analysed thematically. The results highlighted the need for fair and inclusive learning settings and the benefits and pitfalls of inclusive pedagogy. The research demonstrated a shift towards equitable and personalised inclusive strategies that prioritise individual needs and fairness over conventional approaches. The task of reconciling bilingual education with dyslexia help posed a significant challenge, necessitating a prioritization of language assistance and inclusive support by teachers. Literacy was enhanced through structured phonics and multisensory materials, and successful bilingual instruction was supported by a collaborative effort among teachers and the implementation of translanguaging strategies. The research findings highlighted the value of individualised, team-based approaches in helping dyslexic children in a multilingual environment, adding to the conversation on inclusive education.

Empirical research documents the benefits of summer camps for young people, including disability-specific or medical-speciality residential camps. Using an ethnographic approach which utilized observation and individual and group discussions with the visually impaired young people who attended a summer camp, their parents, and school teachers who staffed the summer camp, we build on the extant research here by exploring, for the first time, the purpose and value of a summer camp for visually impaired young people. The qualitative data generated from our research were subjected to thematic analysis. We discuss the summer camp in relation to the following themes: (1) The summer camp facilitates peer interactions and relationship development; (2) the mixing of age groups facilitates the development of life skills; and (3) the summer camp supports the recruitment of visually impaired young people to Fieldway School [pseudonym].

Although the body of literature around disability sport has grown in interest over the last decade, there remains a lack of research focusing on contexts where athletes have intellectual impairments. Not only this, but despite recommendations made several decades ago to improve coach education for disability sport, there remains very few opportunities available. Therefore, this study foregrounds the experiences and opinions of ParaHockey coaches in becoming and learning to coach in this context. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 8 coaches and 2 staff from the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The essence of constructivist grounded theory was employed to analyse these data, from which two categories were constructed; 1) Becoming a ParaHockey Coach and 2) Developing as a ParaHockey Coach, which are discussed in light of Models of disability. The study concludes by advocating for integration of disability within FIH coach education provision and the value in utilising the social-relational model of disability to make sense of coaches’ experiences.

Of the little written about educational exclusion, much of it considers exclusion as disabled students experiencing less access, opportunities and participation in education when compared to their nondisabled same-aged peers. Our article aims to move beyond these narrow, parochial, and reductive postulates by centering the inter- and intra-subjectivities of disabled students to conceptualize exclusion as experiences with internalized ableism and psycho-emotional disablement that may (or may not) be experienced in any or all material and social spaces in education. We cast light on ableism and psycho-emotional disablement in education so that we and others can challenge, disrupt, and transform it given that it can impact negatively on the wellbeing of disabled students. We end by encouraging researchers to explore how ableism permeates the ideologies, discourses, logics, and traditions of education systems, and for policy makers, school leaders, and teachers to experience anti-disablism training and to adopt an anti-ableist perspective.

Universal design for learning (UDL) has been advocated for by adapted physical education scholars as a panacea to the challenges associated with teaching disabled and nondisabled students together in physical education. So much so that UDL currently occupies a privileged and largely unquestioned position in adapted physical education scholarship and practice, until now. To move scholarship forward, this article draws on published theoretical and empirical work relating to UDL generally and in physical education in particular to critically discuss the scientific research supporting, or not, the use of UDL as a so-called inclusive approach. We end this article with a call to action for scholars in this field, ourselves included, to conduct theoretically guided and empirically informed research relating to UDL in physical education, which adheres to established hallmarks of research quality that are tied to the ontological and epistemological assumptions of researchers because, at present, it is conspicuous by its absence.

There has been a proliferation of qualitative approaches to researching education. While this has resulted in the construction of a rich tapestry of knowledge about education, it has also resulted in disparate research ideas, processes and practices, and created tensions relating to what constitutes rigorous qualitative research in education. As such, the aim of this paper was to use a multidisciplinary perspective and draw on concepts and practices relating to research coherence, reflexivity, transparency, authenticity, sincerity, credibility and ethics to (1) problematise traditional approaches to rigour in qualitative education research and (2) support those who do interpretive qualitative education research to select and embed relevant concepts and practices to increase and evidence the rigour of their work. I end this paper with an attempt to galvanise interpretive qualitative researchers in education to reflexively consider and justify the ways and extent to which their research decisions, processes and practices are rigorous.

Digital leadership framework to support firm-level digital transformations for Construction 4.0

Inclusion has become a global buzzword relating to education policy and practice. Mostly, it is tied to discussions about access and opportunities in education spaces as well as school policies and the curriculum decisions and pedagogical actions of teachers. As part of this critique, we propose defining inclusion as intersubjective experiences associated with feelings of belonging, acceptance, and value that are dynamic, ephemeral, spatial, and in flux. Here, we advocate for centering the experiences and amplifying the voices of disabled children and young people in and about education spaces, while acknowledging the wider social forces that structure those spaces, as only disabled young people can explain how they feel in the educational spaces where they find themselves.

Much of the albeit limited research relating to disabled children and young people in sport, physical activity and physical education settings is from the perspective of teachers, school leaders, coaches, support assistants and special educational needs coordinators. While this research has undoubtedly contributed to developing a rich tapestry of knowledge about disability and sport, physical activity and physical education, the views and experiences of disabled children and young people are conspicuous by their absence. Thus, in this special issue, we showcase research that centres on the experiences and amplifies the voices of disabled children and young people. When reading these articles, we encourage you to reflexively consider the ways and extent to which your own research and practice endeavours to include, empower, and emancipate disabled children and young people. If nothing else, we hope that this special issue will encourage sport, physical activity and physical education scholars, especially those who ‘do not research disability’, to consider the significance of including disabled people as active participants in more general research studies.

Objective: Peer support interventions can be successful in enhancing physical activity (PA) in a variety of health-related contexts. However, the evidence base remains equivocal, and ways to integrate structured peer support within the context of exercise referral schemes (ERSs) remain unexplored. In this regard, few studies consider the prospective acceptability of peer support interventions. Prior qualitative exploration can elicit insight into factors likely to influence peer intervention success, thus maximising the likelihood of developing and implementing effective peer support interventions. This study assessed the prospective acceptability of a peer support intervention for exercise referral. Design/Setting: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 ERS clients (n = 10) and providers (n = 4) across two ERS sites in the North West of England, UK. Method: Interviews covered preferred demographic and personal characteristics of ERS peers and prospective peer roles. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: A desirable ERS peer was perceived as someone who was positive and empathetic, with good interpersonal skills. ERS peers were considered to present a promising opportunity to enhance the accessibility of emotional, motivational and informational support among ERS clients while alleviating burden on ERS providers. Conclusion: Study findings have relevance to the integration of peer support in comparable ERS contexts, highlighting the value of developmental research to refine peer recruitment criteria and to facilitate ownership and support among providers across a variety of health-related contexts.

This second edition is grounded in up-to-date research on inclusion and has been fully updated in line with the SEND Code of Practice and Ofsted Inspection Framework.

Much of the albeit limited research relating to disabled children and young people in sport, physical activity and physical education settings is from the perspective of teachers, school leaders, coaches, support assistants and special educational needs coordinators. While this research has undoubtedly contributed to developing a rich tapestry of knowledge about disability and sport, physical activity and physical education, the views and experiences of disabled children and young people are conspicuous by their absence. Thus, in this special issue, we showcase research that centres on the experiences and amplifies the voices of disabled children and young people. When reading these articles, we encourage you to reflexively consider the ways and extent to which your own research and practice endeavours to include, empower, and emancipate disabled children and young people. If nothing else, we hope that this special issue will encourage sport, physical activity and physical education scholars, especially those who ‘do not research disability’, to consider the significance of including disabled people as active participants in more general research studies.

In the United States (US), the drive to integrate, or mainstream, disabled students into the same educational settings as their non-disabled peers has resulted in disparate opportunities and experiences. With that, more autistic youth than ever before are expected to assimilate into systems that are often not considerate of their needs and capabilities. We use a creative non-fiction narrative, crafted from qualitative interview data generated with eight autistic youth from the US, to explore subjective feelings of inclusion in integrated physical education contexts. Through Caleb’s story, we explore the complexity of relationships and interactions between autistic youth and their peers and teachers in physical education, and how they may influence the ways and extent to which autistic youth experience feelings of belonging, value and acceptance in physical education spaces. We also consider the role of teacher expectations, curriculum decisions and pedagogical actions in shaping the PE experiences of autistic students.

Abstract The study examined the subjective experiences of autistic youth regarding the role of peer interactions and relationships in feelings of belonging in integrated physical education classes. The term integrated is used to describe a setting in which all students, regardless of educational needs, are educated in the same physical space. Eight autistic youth (all male, aged 13–18 years) who had received most of their physical education in integrated classes acted as participants. Semi-structured interviews were used to generate qualitative data, which were analyzed using a reflexive thematic approach. Findings are presented in three themes: (a) bullying can lead to self-harm and self-isolation, (b) peer interactions and relationships in the locker room, and (c) peer relationships are based on shared interests and take time to develop. Even though autistic students were educated in the same spaces as their non-autistic peers, feelings of belonging were largely unavailable to them. Lay abstract Recent years have seen calls to amplify the voices of autistic people in research about their subjective experiences. Despite this, we know little about how autistic youth experience integrated physical education, particularly in the United States. The term integrated is used to describe a setting in which all students, regardless of educational needs, are educated in the same physical space. In this study, we sought to explore the perspectives of autistic youth toward their experiences in integrated physical education, and the roles of social interactions and relationships with peers in those experiences. Findings noted that several factors influenced the ways and extent to which our participants interacted with their peers during physical education. Unfortunately, most of our participants recalled experiencing bullying, and that physical education offered an environment where bullying was most frequent and comparatively unique compared to other contexts throughout the school day. The locker room, a space linked to physical education, was of particular concern because of a lack of teacher presence. Despite the negative views of and experiences in physical education, there was evidence of participants actively pursuing to connect with peers in this context. However, most instances where participants recalled pursuing friendship were not welcomed from others, which stunted their sense of belonging in this space. Given the role that belonging plays in what it means “to be included,” our research supports emerging ideas that even though autistic students were educated in the same physical spaces as their non-autistic peers, feelings of inclusion were largely absent.

One outcome of the UK Government's commitment to inclusive educational policies was an increase in the number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) being taught in mainstream schools. From the perspective of SENCos, this article analyses whether parents and pupils are able and willing to influence the development of SEN provision and distribution of SEN resources, both of which aim to ensure that pupils have more meaningful experiences of mainstream education. The findings of the study cast light on the power and influence of parents when it comes to SEN provision and resources, the importance of consulting parents and the ways in which parents empower SENCos to make decisions on behalf of themselves and their children. The importance of negotiating and attempting to seek a compromise with pupils was another key issue identified in the article. Ultimately, however, the power to decide where resources go and what is done with them appears to reside with SENCos.

There is a propensity for academics and policy makers in Britain to use the terms integration and inclusion synonymously, possibly resulting in diverse interpretations of the inclusion principles laid out in the new National Curriculum. Much of the research available relating to conceptualisations of inclusion in physical education (PE) is from the perspective of teachers. Moreover, PE as a relatively unique learning environment is often neglected in much of the research that does analyse educational inclusion. In this paper, the key theoretical tools of cultural studies, in particular the concept of cultural hegemony, are used to analyse how special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) and learning support assistants (LSAs) conceptualise inclusion in mainstream secondary school PE in Britain. Semi-structured, individual interviews explored SENCO (n=12) and LSA (n=12) educational ideologies and experiences of SEN and inclusion in PE. Open, axial and selective coding was undertaken to systematically analyse (textual) data. The research found that most conceptualisations reflected a social ideology because they focused on how educational arrangements can be made to ensure that pupils with SEN have comparable learning experiences to their age peers. Emphasis was placed on the power and influence of PE teachers, and the importance of identifying the specific needs and capabilities of pupils with SEN, as ways of ensuring that an inclusive culture can develop and is maintained in PE. The paper concludes by arguing that PE teachers and LSAs need access to PE-specific and up-to-date guidance and learning targets so that they can use the influence they have over the norms and values of PE to cultivate an inclusive culture in that subject.

One outcome of England's Code of Practice’ (DfE, 1994) was an increase, first, in the number of learning support assistants ( LSA s) working in mainstream schools and, second, the establishment of the role of special educational needs co‐ordinator ( SENCO ). Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with SENCO s and LSA s to explore: (i) why they chose their occupation; (ii) how they conceptualise their role and (iii) the decisions they make when endeavouring (or not) to cultivate an inclusive culture in schools. Many SENCO s sought the role in order to increase the educational attainment and life chances of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities ( SEND ). Inclusive concepts such as fairness, equality and social justice underpinned their rationales. LSA justification was more pragmatic and often related to how the role would help them to achieve a further career ambition, or because it was compatible with personal circumstances. Younger participants thought that they could strengthen their teacher training applications by using the role of LSA to gain more experience working in schools generally, and with pupils with SEND in particular. The role of both SENCO and LSA has been found to be extremely diverse in England, depending largely on the needs and resources of the schools in which these two groups find themselves.

Background and aims

The study explored the mediating role of forms of passion in the relationship between motivational regulations in exercise and exercise addiction (EA).

Pupils with disabilities have been found to experience a narrower physical education curriculum and participate less frequently than pupils without disabilities. A lack of knowledge, skills, relevant experiences and confidence amongst physical education (PE) teachers has been said to contribute to these differential educational experiences. This article adds to the paucity of research that analyses the PE experiences of pupils with disabilities while, at the same time, evaluating embodied pedagogy as a tool for better preparing PE teachers for their role as inclusive educators.

Background: It is well-established that traditional approaches to initial teacher education do not adequately prepare physical education (PE) teachers for teaching pupils with disabilities. Consequently, pupils with disabilities participate less frequently and in fewer PE activities than their age peers. School-based placements, which form a cornerstone of the professional socialisation phase of teacher education, can help to prepare prospective and pre-service teachers for the demands of working in educational settings. We should not assume, though, that placing prospective or pre-service PE teachers in a school impacts positively on learning about inclusive pedagogies and, consequently, the educational experiences of pupils with disabilities. Purpose: We used a special school placement and created opportunities for students to critically reflect on situated learning experiences to challenge normative perceptions of pedagogy and facilitate their learning about more inclusive approaches to teaching and learning. Specifically, we explore the influence of a special school placement on prospective PE teachers’ learning about inclusive pedagogies. Methodology: Twenty-six first year undergraduate students, all of whom aspired to become PE teachers, participated in focus group interviews and were selected because they had attended a placement in a special school. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Findings: The findings were underpinned by situated learning theory and suggested, for the first time in research terms, that through a special school placement prospective PE teachers learned about: adapting activities; breaking activities into smaller, more manageable parts; demonstrating activities; pacing the delivery of activities; when to repeat activities; non-verbal communication; and managing disruptive behaviours. We conclude by arguing that this pedagogical learning will contribute to preparing our participants for teacher education programmes and a career teaching PE, given that it aligns with the criteria used to judge the performance of pre- and in-service teachers in England (see Department for Education (DfE). 2011. Teachers’ Standards. London: DfE. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/665520/Teachers__Standards.pdf). Thus, we advocate for such placements to become a more frequent feature of the learning experiences of prospective and pre-service teachers. However, we do question and therefore call for future research that explores the longer-term influence and transferability of what is learned during special school placements.

Physical Education and Special Educational Needs in North-West England

The paper examines the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream secondary schools from the perspective of physical education (PE) teachers. The findings of this case study, which used individual interviews and was undertaken in the North-West of England, suggest that team games are activities which teachers find particularly difficult to plan and deliver in an inclusive way. Specifically, many teachers suggested that there was limited opportunity for individual planning during team games and that they found it difficult to develop and implement rules and adapt games to make them more inclusive. Moreover, there was an expressed feeling among teachers that, first, their initial teacher training (ITT) had not prepared them adequately for their day-to-day endeavours to include pupils with SEN in PE; and, second, that the schools in which they work are not providing them with any inclusion training. Finally, there was a general feeling among PE teachers that they are not receiving enough support from special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) and learning support assistants (LSAs) whose role is, lest we forget, to enable teachers to include pupils with SEN in the mainstream education system.

The Inclusion of Pupils with Special Educational Needs

The paper examines the planned and unplanned outcomes associated with the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in the National Curriculum Physical Education (NCPE) in Britain. This involves the use of key concepts from figurational sociology, and documentary analysis, to examine the emergence of disability as a social issue in British society and in secondary school education. Norbert Elias' game models (Elias, 1978) are then used to analyse the NCPE 1992, 1995 and 2000 documents, and their associated consultation materials. This allows the researcher to identify all the major players involved in the formulation of the NCPEs, and the extent to which the objectives of each player, and their subsequent power struggles with each other, impacted upon the overall objectives and content of the NCPEs. The game models are then used to examine the extent to which the objectives of the players involved in the implementation of the NCPE generated outcomes which none of the players planned for, or could have foreseen.

Accessible summary

Enacting critical pedagogies within physical education (PE) contexts have been found to increase critical consciousness and disrupt hegemonic taken-for-granted assumptions about ability and the body. As an under-researched area, the aim of our research was to explore the extent to which a critical pedagogical approach in PE can disrupt normative ableist notions of disability through a disability-specific, critically orientated, tennis class. Six students from a large southeastern US university chose to participate and student video narratives and reflective essays were collated as data sources. Through inductive and deductive data analysis, the key themes constructed were: (1) ‘the learning journey in critical education’, underpinned by the following subthemes: (i) ‘initial shock’, (ii) ‘new experiences’, and (iii) ‘humbling encounters’; and (2) ‘consequences of critical pedagogy’, supported by (a) ‘building a community through meaningful relationships’, and (b) ‘change in perspective’. We conclude by discussing the pedagogical potential of our critical approach.

Background: When compared to their hearing peers, Deaf pupils are likely to experience fewer activities and participate less often in physical education (PE), be less physically active, lag in motor skill development, and are more likely to be overweight or obese. While the reasons for these differences are nuanced and complex, established phonocentric pedagogical practices and (mis)communication between Deaf pupils and hearing PE teachers have been identified as key issues of concern. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore prospective PE teachers’ attempts to disrupt phonocentricism by learning about visual pedagogies and non-verbal communication through: (1) teaching activities to peers who are wearing noise-cancelling ear defenders; and (2) wearing noise-cancelling ear defenders themselves as they are taught by other prospective PE teachers. Methodology: A total 75 prospective PE teachers (i.e. those who intended to apply to train to become a teacher once their undergraduate studies were complete) participated in the research, all of whom had attended at least some of the eight, two-hour practical activities dedicated to using ear defenders for pedagogical purposes. Data were generated via practical lesson observations and audio-recorded group discussions about teaching peers who were wearing ear defenders. All qualitative data were analysed thematically and informed the construction of vignettes used to represent data. Findings: Prospective PE teachers learned how to disrupt phonocentric practices by using hand gestures and touch as pedagogical tools to gain the attention of learners and for instructional purposes. In this respect, I identify a need to explore the ethics of using these tools when working with Deaf pupils especially because some of the practices witnessed raised questions about power and consent. There was also evidence of pedagogical experimentation relating to the use of both pictures and text-to-speech smart phone applications for communicating non-verbally. Here, concerns were expressed by prospective PE teachers that these forms of communication were often ‘one-way’, preventing opportunities for more dynamic and interactive forms of communication and learning. It was notable that prospective PE teachers found it difficult to provide meaningful feedback, non-verbally, to support learning and development. I end by acknowledging the difficulty in knowing whether what prospective PE teachers learned could and should be transferred to myriad contexts and situations in PE that Deaf pupils find themselves. Moving forward, this is something for members of our academic community to explore.

Perceived social support opportunities are central to successful exercise referral scheme (ERS) client experiences. However, there remains a lack of guidance on how ERSs can embed social support opportunities within their provision. This study presents retrospective acceptability findings from a 12-week social-identity-informed peer support intervention to enhance perceived social support among clients of an English ERS. Five peer volunteers were recruited, trained, and deployed in supervised ERS sessions across two sites. Peers assisted exercise referral officers (EROs) by providing supplementary practical, informational, motivational, and emotional support to ERS clients. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with peers (n = 4), EROs (n = 2), and clients (n = 5) and analysed thematically. The analysis identified three primary themes. The first theme detailed how EROs utilised peer volunteers to supplement the ERS client experience. This theme delineated peer roles within the ERS context and identified salient individual peer characteristics that contributed to their success. The second theme described peer acceptability among the various stakeholders. Peers were valued for their ability to reduce burden on EROs and to enhance perceptions of comfort among ERS clients. The final theme presented participant feedback regarding how the intervention may be further refined and enhanced. Peers represented a cost-effective and acceptable means of providing auxiliary social support to ERS clients. Moving forward, the structured integration of peers can improve the accessibility of social support among ERS participants, thus facilitating better rates of ERS completion.

La atención a personas con necesidades especiales tiene una particular relevancia en el campo educativo. El presente estudio recoge las opiniones y las percepciones de estudiantes universitarios del Grado de Ciencias de Actividad Física y del Deporte de centros públicos de España y Reino Unido sobre la formación recibida en el Grado sobre atención a alumnos con necesidades educativas especiales (NEE). Los datos provienen de un cuestionario cumplimentado por 457 estudiantes de ambos países que se encontraban en su último curso del Grado/Bachellor universitario. Los resultados vienen a demostrar que la calidad de la formación en NEE es el factor que más influencia ejerce en la autopercepción de capacidad científica y profesional para abordar la atención a las NEE. También, se observa la existencia de una importante influencia de la experiencia personal adquirida en materia de NEE y, en menor medida, aunque también de modo significativo, el predominio de la formación práctica sobre la teórica en materia de NEE. Por países, el porcentaje de estudiantes que declaran que sus centros conceden una alta importancia a la formación en NEE es mayor en la muestra de estudiantes ingleses que de españoles. Además, se han encontrado diferencias significativas en función del país de procedencia en los tres componentes detectados demostrándose que los estudiantes españoles, a diferencia de los ingleses, tienen la percepción de que su nivel de capacitación profesional es mayor, que existe una mayor necesidad de formación, y de que la preparación del profesorado para la integración también es mayor. Los resultados plantean la necesidad de seguir centrando los esfuerzos en mejorar la formación en el campo de las NEE, dotándola de una mayor capacidad de integrar a este colectivo de estudiantes, tanto en sus contenidos teóricos como prácticos. Algo que debería también aplicarse a las actividades de formación continua que ofertan los organismos e instituciones educativas oficiales dirigidas al profesorado no universitario. Abstract. Centering attention on people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has relevance to the educational field. The present study gathers the views of university students studying a Bachelor’s Degree relating to Physical Activity and Sports Sciences at public universities in Spain and United Kingdom (UK). Focus is placed on the training received relating to students with SEND. The data came from a questionnaire completed by 457 students from both countries who were in their last year of Bachelor’s Degree. The results show that the quality of training in SEND is the factor that most influences self-perceptions about scientific and professional capacity to address disability and SEN. Furthermore, personal experience in SEND matters also show an important influence and, to a lesser extent, although also significantly, the predominance of practical training over theoretical knowledge. The percentage of students who declare that their Bachelor’s Degree gives high importance to training in SEND is higher in the sample of UK students. In addition, significant differences have been found over the three components detected, demonstrating that Spanish students, unlike UK students, perceive that their level of professional training is higher, despite there being a greater need for training, and that the preparation of teachers for integration is also greater. Results suggest the necessity to continue focusing efforts on improving training in the field of SEND, providing it with higher levels of inclusiveness, both in its theoretical and practical content. This is something that should also be applied to continuous training offered by official educational institutions addressed to non-university teachers.

Theory refers to established and emerging frameworks for conducting research. Theoretical paradigms underpin all research and are used to help researchers make decisions about the questions they ask, the methods they use and the interpretations they make. However, in adapted physical education (APE) research, scholars seldom report their theoretical position. This chapter provides an overview of two key ontological frameworks that underpin qualitative and quantitative research. We use these to discuss the necessity of acknowledging and engaging with theoretical debates for ensuring research quality. We conclude with some key questions to help researchers reflect on their own theoretical positions and how this can be used to inform future research.

This study sets out to investigate physical education (PE) teachers’ perceptions of the use of an online professional development resource to support making reasonable adjustment for learners with disability. The Equality Act (2010) called on all UK schools to ensure access to PE was equitable for all learners. This means schools have to adopt strategies for making reasonable adjustments so as not to disadvantage learners with any special educational need and disability. Teachers report that they are working towards an inclusive classroom; however, parents of learners with disabilities report that there remains a lack of opportunities for their children to engage with activity. Using purposive sampling, participants were selected for the study after which they were asked to complete a continuing professional development online training course on the subject of making reasonable adjustments for learning with disabilities. Through one-to-one interviews, qualitative data were collected and analysed through thematic analysis. The findings indicated that the online resource was greeted positively by staff and not only supported the PE teachers but also increased their awareness of different approaches to making reasonable adjustments. The findings also indicated that the issue of making reasonable adjustments and the use of the online development tool need to be driven from the school senior leadership team if it is to have value for the whole school community.

Exercise addiction is a rising preoccupation for researchers as a susceptible cause of serious health issues and negative consequences for individuals. Although there are numerous studies that have analysed exercise addiction, only a few have examined possible gender differences. To estimate if there is a prevalence difference between men and women relating to exercise addiction, a systematic review was conducted. Bibliographic searches were performed via PubMed and PsycINFO databases limited to English language, studies on humans, and since 2000, with the search terms: ‘exercise addiction inventory’ and ‘exercise dependence scale’, with a result of 590 potential relevant entries. Titles were then reviewed for duplicates and non-peer reviewed papers, which were then excluded. This resulted in a list with of 433 articles. Subsequently, abstracts and methods were reviewed using the following inclusion criteria: studies using the Exercise Addiction Inventory and/or the Exercise Dependence Scale, as these are the only available screening tools to identify the individual at risk of exercise addiction. The full text of the resulting 88 articles was then analysed, focusing on studies providing data about gender differences on the prevalence of exercise addiction (number of participants, percentages, and/or means and standard deviations). As reported by the 27 studies included in the final systematic review that met all the inclusion criteria, the effect size reflects variation in gender differences. Cohen’s d was between .04 and .98, suggesting that men are more addicted to exercise than women. Only two studies reported that the prevalence for exercise addiction was higher in women than men. However, our study concludes that more research is needed to understand the gender differences on the prevalence of exercise addiction, and the nature of this potential disorder.

There is a propensity for academics and policy makers in Britain to use the terms integration and inclusion synonymously, possibly resulting in diverse interpretations of the inclusion principles laid out in the new National Curriculum. Much of the research available relating to conceptualisations of inclusion in physical education (PE) is from the perspective of teachers. Moreover, PE as a relatively unique learning environment is often neglected in much of the research that does analyse educational inclusion. In this paper, the key theoretical tools of cultural studies, in particular the concept of cultural hegemony, are used to analyse how special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) and learning support assistants (LSAs) conceptualise inclusion in mainstream secondary school PE in Britain. Semi-structured, individual interviews explored SENCO (n=12) and LSA (n=12) educational ideologies and experiences of SEN and inclusion in PE. Open, axial and selective coding was undertaken to systematically analyse (textual) data. The research found that most conceptualisations reflected a social ideology because they focused on how educational arrangements can be made to ensure that pupils with SEN have comparable learning experiences to their age peers. Emphasis was placed on the power and influence of PE teachers, and the importance of identifying the specific needs and capabilities of pupils with SEN, as ways of ensuring that an inclusive culture can develop and is maintained in PE. The paper concludes by arguing that PE teachers and LSAs need access to PE-specific and up-to-date guidance and learning targets so that they can use the influence they have over the norms and values of PE to cultivate an inclusive culture in that subject.

Britain’s 1981 Education Act stimulated a partial migration of pupils from special to mainstream schools. The onus has since been on teachers to meet the needs and capitalise on the capabilities of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream school settings. The research analysed learning support assistant (LSA) and special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) views on inclusion in physical education (PE). Individual interviews were conducted with 12 LSAs and 12 SENCOs working in mainstream schools in North-West England. Open, axial and selective coding was performed on interview transcripts to identify reoccurring themes. The research found that SENCOs and LSAs considered PE to be an inclusive subject, the conceptualisation of which was left to them. However, developing PE provision that met the needs and optimised the capabilities of pupils with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and supporting pupils with SEND during team games and competitive sports, were identified as key challenges to inclusion in PE. This may be of concern to some educationalists given that these types of curriculum activities have recently been repositioned at the heart of PE in England. A key challenge for all those involved in educating pupils with SEND in PE, especially teachers and LSAs, is to plan and teach team games and competitive sports in ways that meet the needs of and stretch all pupils, in particular those with ASD.

Learning support assistants (LSAs) gained more political and academic attention in Britain after Estelle Morris announced that schools of the future would include more trained staff to support learning to higher standards. LSAs, thus, should form an integral part of the culture of all school departments in Britain, including physical education (PE). The paper uses Antonio Gramsci's concept of hegemony to explore the processes and practices that shape the views and experiences of LSAs and ultimately the extent to which they facilitate an inclusive culture in PE. A web survey gathered the views and experiences of LSAs vis-à-vis the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream secondary school PE in North-West England. A modified version of the tailored design method participant contact strategy resulted in 343 LSAs starting the web survey, with 154 (45%) following it through to completion. All quantitative data were analysed using Microsoft Excel whilst qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. This entailed the identification of recurring themes and patterns present in the data. The findings highlight the hegemonic status of English, maths and science when it comes to the allocation of SEN resources, which most LSAs support and often reinforce. PE is particularly disadvantaged in this hierarchy of subject priority. The majority of LSAs have not received PE-specific training, which brings into question their ability to facilitate inclusion in PE. Moreover, many schools do not appear to value the involvement of LSAs in the planning of differentiated lessons, which could have a negative impact on the PE experiences of some pupils with SEN given that LSAs are perhaps most aware of the specific learning needs of the pupils they support. © 2014 © 2014 Taylor & Francis.

The use of social identity theorising to inform public health interventions is a conceptually salient, yet currently underutilised approach. The social identity approach elaborates on the primary psychological mechanisms underpinning social identication, as well as providing supporting evidence for the plethora of health and well-being benets that are derived from being a member of social groups. Notwithstanding, to date there remains little practical guidance for how the social identity approach can be harnessed to inform the development of complex behaviour change interventions which take place in diverse public health settings, such as Exercise Referral Schemes (ERSs). This article presents a summary overview of how the social identity approach was used to inform the development of a bespoke peer mentorship-based intervention for ERSs. As such, we provide a case study example outlining the practical implementation of the social identity approach within a diverse public health context. Some critical reections are discussed that have broader relevance for other public health interventions that seek to embed peer support provision.

There is an ever-growing body of research relating to disabled pupils’ experiences of physical education (PE). However, our research is novel because it draws on an ableism-critical perspective to amplify the voices and centre the PE experiences of pupils with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We used an online survey to gather quantitative and qualitative data from 100 participants with a diagnosis to explore their perceptions of: (a) the influence of JIA on participation in PE; (b) relationships with same-aged peers and their influence on experiences in PE; (c) relationships with teachers and their influence on experiences in PE; and (d) the appropriateness of the PE curriculum. Microsoft Excel was utilised to analyse quantitative data and produce descriptive statistics that were used to map views and experiences of PE, while qualitative data generated from open questions were analysed thematically. We discuss data in relation to the following themes: (a) pain, fatigue, and fear of injury restricted participation in PE; (b) awareness and (mis)understanding of JIA; (c) the negative judgements of others and peer bullying in PE; and (d) the (in)appropriateness of the PE curriculum. We end this article by emphasising the importance of disrupting ableist ideologies, discourses, and knowledge, particularly as these all relate to (mis)understandings of JIA and negative perceptions about the ability of such pupils in PE, because they are contributing to the marginalisation and ostracisation of pupils with JIA.

While research has explored pre-service teacher views and experiences with disability simulations, none thus far has centered those that decide how and why such simulations are used, namely, teacher educators. Our research explores physical education teacher educator views and experiences of visual impairment simulations, as well as their perspectives toward simulations after reading reflections of visually impaired people themselves about this pedagogical task. Vignettes describing teacher educators’ use of simulations, together with the narratives of visually impaired people about simulations, were used during individual interviews with eight physical education teacher educators to support them to reflect on their own views and experiences of visual impairment simulations. All qualitative data that were generated from these interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Nearly all participants, at first, discussed the value of visual impairment simulations, focusing specifically on how they could support pre-service teachers to ‘know’, ‘understand’ and ‘feel’ how physical education is experienced by visually impaired people. Once the narratives of visually impaired people were introduced and discussed during interview, they went some way to supporting some participants to critically reflect on the ethics, authenticity, and pedagogical potential of disability simulations for preparing pre-service teachers for teaching visually impaired students. Whether engagement with the narratives of visually impaired people about simulation, or indeed anything else relating to their embodied views and experiences of physical education, will influence the way that teacher educators think about disability, visual impairment, inclusion, physical education, or teacher education in the long-term is for future research to explore.

Recent studies have highlighted physical education (PE) as a setting for life skills development, yet little is known about how teachers can promote the development and transfer of life skills through PE. Therefore, the broad objectives of this study were to explore teacher’s perceptions of what life skills are developed through PE, how these life skills are developed in practice, and whether these life skills transfer to other life domains. A qualitative methodological design consisting of in-depth semi-structured interviews was employed to obtain detailed insights from PE teachers. Audio-recorded interviews lasting an average of 43 minutes were conducted with 11 teachers (Mage = 37.9 years; teaching experience = 14.1 years) from the northwest of England. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Five key themes were constructed during data analysis: 1) key life skills developed through PE (e.g., teamwork, communication, leadership, & resilience), 2) why life skills are needed and taught, 3) considering students’ individual needs when teaching life skills, 4) strategies for life skills development (e.g., explicit & implicit learning, teachable moments, & role modelling), and 5) the transferability of life skills to other domains (e.g., schoolwork & home life). The findings provide key insights into how teachers value life skills, support their development, and enable transfer to other areas of students’ lives.

Background: Normative motor skill assessments occupy a privileged position in physical education scholarship and practice. So much so, in fact, they manifest as commonsense cultural arrangements in most movement contexts, including adapted physical education. The proliferation of such tools has generally been uncontested, until now. Purpose: We argue that normative motor skill assessments have ableist underpinnings and consequently may do more to subordinate, rather than empower disabled children. More specifically, we suggest that normative motor assessment tools and criteria, perhaps unintentionally, highlight what is perceived to be wrong, bad, and faulty about the ways disabled bodies look and move, thus reinforcing ableist norms and values relating to ability. Conclusions: We end by encouraging adapted physical education scholars and practitioners to critically reflect on ableist notions of ability, particularly as they relate to movement competence, and to work with disabled children because of their embodied experiences to co-design assessments that are more meaningful to disabled children.

Physical activity among children and young people with intellectual disabilities in special schools: Teacher and learning support ... A social relational model of disability: a theoretical framework for special needs education?

In this article, we amplify the voices of visually impaired people to explore the authenticity of simulating visual impairment (VI) as a means of developing empathy among sighted student teachers. Participants were nine visually impaired adults who read vignettes narrating simulation experiences of student teachers in a university setting before being interviewed. Interviews were conducted via telephone, and were recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically. The discussed themes are: (1) Involving visually impaired people in simulations increases authenticity; (2) Visual impairment is too diverse and complex to be authentically replicated; (3) The suddenness and duration of the simulations are inauthentic; and (4) Removal of blindfolds compromises the authenticity of the experience. Most of our participants were sceptical that VI could ever be authentically simulated because it was too diverse and complex for sighted people to embody. However, given its potential for facilitating the pedagogical learning of student teachers, we propose the involvement of disabled people in the construction and, if possible, delivery of disability simulations and a change of focus relating to the aim, purpose and claims made about disability simulations. Specifically, we encourage a move away from endeavouring to simulate VI in order to live and embody it, towards teacher educators working with visually impaired people and using equipment such as blindfold and VI glasses to facilitate pedagogical learning that may be of value when teaching visually impaired and sighted pupils. In short, we should not claim to “simulate VI” but rather use specialist equipment for pedagogical purposes.

Concepts of exclusion and inclusion in sport, physical activity and physical education settings are mostly anchored to discussions about access to and opportunities in physical and social spaces from the perspective of non-disabled adult stakeholders. In this article, we use individual interviews and two creative non-fiction accounts to explore the views of an adult with cerebral palsy (CP), named Jack, who reflects on his embodied experiences of mainstream and CP youth football. This approach enabled us to provide a more nuanced and sophisticated consideration of the exclusion/inclusion dichotomy by centring Jack’s construction of identity and feelings of belonging in the spaces his body inhabited. Particular attention is paid to the interactions and relationships that Jack developed with teammates and coaches, and the (often ableist) constructs of ability that pervade mainstream and CP settings, all of which served to influence Jack’s sense of belonging. We end by encouraging scholars to centre the experiences and amplify the voices of disabled young people, and to consider inclusion as intersubjective experiences associated with feelings of belonging, acceptance and value that are dynamic and in flux. The concept of embodied belonging can help us to move researchers beyond a simple critique of disabling socio-spatial power relations towards the construction of new knowledge that enhances understandings of disability, place, and space.

School–based placements have been identified as important for personal and professional development, supporting prospective teachers to critically (re)consider and disrupt normative and ableist practices. Antonio Gramsci’s concept of cultural hegemony was used in this research to explore the influence of a special school placement on prospective teachers’ beliefs about the nature, purpose, and value of physical education (PE) for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Twenty-six prospective teachers from England participated in focus groups prior to and after placement in a special school. Focus group audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Our findings suggest that special school field experiences can contribute toward disrupting hegemonic beliefs about the nature, purpose, and value of PE, and allow prospective teachers to develop more critical, diverse, and nuanced understandings of PE, which may be crucial for providing more inclusive PE experiences for pupils with SEND in both special and mainstream settings. Saying that, we end by offering a note of caution about the transferability and permanence of ideological change, calling for future research that explores the long-term influence of special school placements and transfer to mainstream schools.

Discourses of inclusion are currently used without clear and consistent meaning and multiple and varied interpretations exist, therefore stunting our ability to enhance or utilize the concept in social justice and education scholarship and practice. In this article, we argue that the ambiguous, conflicting, and contested features of inclusion have opened a door for nondisabled policy makers, academics, practitioners, and other stakeholders to exploit the concept of inclusion by crafting the logics and taken-for-granted assumptions that become associated with it. Accordingly, these nondisabled stakeholders gain social, cultural, and symbolic capital in the fields that they operate, while (some) disabled students are objectification and exploited. Accordingly, we utilize existing empirical literature to conceptualize and problematize inclusion porn in education scholarship and practice through a comparison to the key features of porn. We do this to offer inclusion porn as a conceptual tool for education practitioners and scholars to think with so that they can reflexively consider and interrogate their own ideologies, discourses, practices, and common-sense logics relating to ‘inclusion’.

Physical education teacher education (PETE) has been identified as fertile ground for preparing teachers for teaching disabled pupils. However, there is an absence of visibly disabled bodies in PETE. Our research explores (1) how disabled bodies navigate the ableism that saturates PETE; and (2) how teacher educators can work with (disabled) prospective teachers to disrupt ableism through a critical perspective. This article generated data through four semi-structured interviews with Jack, a disabled prospective teacher with cerebral palsy, to capture his embodied experiences of gymnastics as part of his PETE. The interviews were recorded, transcribed with the analysis resulting in the following themes: (1) Internalised ableist expectations about bodies in gymnastics; (2) Hiding the disabled body from the able-bodied gaze; (3) Experiencing exclusion and learning about disability; and (4) Co-constructing anti-ableist pedagogies in gymnastics. We conclude with a call for research and practice relating to challenging, disrupting, and transforming ableism in PETE.

Policymakers, practitioners, and scholars typically consider educational inclusion as access, opportunity, participation, and representation. While these areas of focus are important, they are often anchored to adult-centered perspectives of inclusion and thus neglect how the decisions made by (mostly) nondisabled adults in the name of inclusion are experienced and felt by disabled students. As such, we argue in this chapter that such perspectives about inclusion are narrow, parochial, and reductive because the experiences of disabled students are not centered. Their voices are not amplified by scholars in research about inclusion, government, and school leaders when it comes to policy about inclusion and practitioners when they make curriculum and pedagogical decisions. This chapter advocates for considering inclusion as intersubjective experiences and feelings of belonging, acceptance, and value that can happen in any educational space and can change over time. We end the chapter by considering some of the implications, benefits, and challenges of thinking about, and practicing, inclusion in this way.

Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) can be considered as a complex interplay of social, cultural, political, economic, and embodied phenomena. This article explores the often overlooked role of third actors in shaping bodily interactions within educational environments. In phenomenological legacy, the (lived and living) body cannot be considered solely through the lens of autonomy and (individual) subjectivity because it is inherently bound by the presence of others. By shedding light on the subtle influence of third actors on complex intercorporeal dynamics, we aim to provide insights into their presence, influence, and pedagogical significance. Based on this theoretical commentary, we derive four markers that outline our idea of a Third-Actor-Sensitive Pedagogy: (1) Awareness of the Presence of Third Actors, (2) Engaging Third Actors Didactically, (3) Addressing Third Actors Ambivalence, and (4) Reducing Exclusion of Third Actors. These markers can serve as an impetus for the discourse on pedagogies of embodiment in PETE.

This is the first book to introduce qualitative research methods in the study of disability and physical education. It outlines key concepts and theories in disability and physical education, providing a platform for understanding, before exploring the full range of methodologies and techniques for research, data gathering, and data representation. Written by a team of leading researchers from around the world, every chapter introduces a research theory, approach, method, or tool; provides a critical discussion about how that theory, approach method, or tool has been used or might be used; and offers signposts to future directions for research in that area. This book explores established research methods and cutting-edge methods that are being applied to disability and physical education for the first time, from narrative inquiry, ethnography, and action research, to creative nonfiction, sensory methods, and participatory approaches. This book places an emphasis on approaches that consider disabled children and young people as active (rather than passive) agents involved in data gathering, and on ways in which researchers and research participants can utilise data to best represent views toward, and experiences of, disability and physical education. This is an essential reference volume for any advanced student, researcher, pre-service educator, in-service educator, or coach with an interest in disability and physical education.

There has been a proliferation of qualitative approaches to researching disability in physical education. While this has resulted in the construction of a rich tapestry of knowledge about and for disability and physical education, it has also resulted in disparate ideas, processes and practices, and produced conflicts relating to what rigorous qualitative research entails. As such, this chapter aims to use a multi-disciplinary perspective and draw on concepts and practices relating to coherence, reflexivity, transparency, authenticity, sincerity, credibility and goodness to (1) problematise traditional approaches to rigour in qualitative research relating to disability in physical education; and (2) support those who do qualitative research to select and embed these concepts and practices depending on their appropriateness to the research. I end this chapter with an attempt to rouse qualitative researchers in disability and physical education to reflexively consider and justify the ways and extent to which their research decisions, processes and practices are rigorous.

We begin this chapter by problematising nondisabled researchers researching disability in physical education, especially when there is a need to ‘speak for’ disabled young people. We do this by first unpacking our own positionalities as part of a call for deeper and more critical considerations of positionality than the often brief, basic, superficial and tokenistic statements that are typically offered in journal articles. Then, we argue for the importance of researcher reflexive engagement being embedded throughout the entire research process, before exploring the ways and extent to which we have endeavoured to critically consider how our own embodied knowledge, experience, values and assumptions influence the research that we do. Reflexive questions are offered throughout the chapter to support others who research disability in physical education to deepen their reflexive engagements for ethical purposes but also to increase the transparency and thus rigour of the research that they do.

This book has woven together a rich tapestry of diverse methodological and theoretical perspectives that enrich our understanding of disability within physical education. The chapters highlight the need for nuanced approaches to understanding and engaging with disability through research. It explores how diverse perspectives and innovative methods can be used to interrogate and understand the multifaceted experiences of disabled people and other key stakeholders within the unique pedagogical context of physical education.

This introductory chapter provides a foundational understanding of disability within the context of physical education and the value of qualitative research in exploring issues relevant to disabled students in this unique educational context. We discuss how disability is not a universally agreed-upon term but rather a complex, multi-dimensional construct that is shaped by social and cultural contexts, and equally how the context of physical education is also a social, cultural, and political construct. This provides a foundational understanding about how disability may be understood in physical education. These perceptions may influence the research approaches chosen by researchers and highlight the necessity of reflecting on one’s beliefs about disability when conducting research.

Executive Summary Alternative provision includes settings such as pupil referral units (PRUs), alternative provision academies, free schools, and hospital schools. There are increasing numbers of children and young people with mental health needs in alternative provision, and there is a growing recognition that pupils’ mental health and wellbeing influence their educational attainment. Importantly, sport and physical activity – provided through the physical education curriculum in alternative provision schools – may offer a viable means to reengage disaffected youth in learning and development. However, little is known about what physical education in alternative provision does and/or should involve, how it is experienced by pupils, how staff are trained to teach it, or how well the subject is resourced. This research aimed to explore the role and value of physical education and sport in alternative provision through the following objectives: (1) to map the provision of physical education and sport in alternative provision schools in England (2) to foreground the voice of children/young people and key stakeholders (e.g., teachers) to gain insights about the nature, purpose and value of physical education and sport (3) to identify barriers and facilitators to engagement with physical education and sport (4) to examine the resourcing of physical education and sport and what training is provided for those who teach the subject (5) to identify evidence-based implications for policy and practice, and future research directions relating to physical education and sport in alternative provision schools. The research was conducted across three distinct phases. In Phase 1, an online survey was distributed to lead practitioners of all alternative provision schools across England. Phase 2 involved a purposive sample of lead practitioners who were invited to take part in individual (n=14) and focus group (n=1, 15 participants) interviews. Finally, Phase 3 drew on four case studies of children/young people (n=25) who took part in focus group interviews using a range of different creative methods. Survey findings revealed that 90% of alternative provision providers deliver some form of physical education, though less (78%) suggested that physical education was compulsory. In addition, physical education seems to be delivered by a range of individuals with just 57% suggesting it was delivered by a specialist physical education teacher, 46% suggesting it was delivered by a generalist classroom teacher, and 30% reporting that it was delivered by a sports coach. In addition, one of the main purposes for physical education and sport in alternative provision schools is the development of physical and mental health, emphasised because of its claimed role in improving cardiovascular health and reducing childhood obesity. Developing social skills was also seen to be an important purpose to ease the transition back to mainstream school, and for life in general, both outside of and once young people have left school. A range of barriers were identified to delivering physical education and sport in alternative provision schools. These include, but were not limited to, teacher confidence and competence, and a perceived lack of pedagogical content knowledge. Pupil needs and abilities, their behaviour, confidence and competence, and motivation were also reported as key barriers. Most prominent however, was the space available to teach in. For instance, just 57% reported having access to an outdoor playground, while more than half (51%) did not have access to a dedicated indoor space for the delivery of physical education. Furthermore, the standard of equipment and facilities, and the challenges of employing staff with relevant expertise were also cited, with qualitative data highlighting a ‘recruitment crisis’. Finally, negative perceptions and stigma of the young people who attend alternative provision from those in the local community, and a lack of financial support were also reported as key barriers. This research proposes the following recommendations for policy, practice, and research: • Recommendation 1: The provision of a dedicated (and maintained) space to support a wider variety of activities would help to support young people’s development. • Recommendation 2: Pre-service teachers to be provided with a teaching placement in some form of alternative provision school. • Recommendation 3: Reconsider how funding is allocated for the provision of physical education and sport in alternative provision schools. • Recommendation 4: The creation of a formal or informal network to provide opportunities for teachers to feel connected and share ideas • Recommendation 5: Facilitate the inclusion of pupil voice in curriculum decision making processes. • Recommendation 6: Reframe competition to focus more on fostering internal motivation and provide opportunities for pupils to feel a sense of achievement. • Recommendation 7: Identify ways to foster positive relationships between teachers and pupils. • Recommendation 8: Provide off-site opportunities for young people to engage in physical activity and sport, to help them (re)engage with the outside world. • Recommendation 9: Further research funding is required to continue to explore the alternative provision landscape as it relates to physical education and sport.

Curriculum is at the heart of education. It has been said that a broad and balanced physical education curriculum can contribute to young people developing socially, cognitively, affectively, and physically. As such, in this article, we draw on Antonio Gramsci's ideas of culture, power, and ideology to explore the physical education curriculum in alternative provision schools in England. We did this by generating qualitative data using semi‐structured interviews with 13 physical education practitioners working in 13 different alternative provision schools. Interviews were audio recorded, and audio recordings were transcribed verbatim, before being subjected to reflexive thematic analysis. The themes generated through these analytical processes were (1) Physical education curriculum should be tailored to the needs and preferences of pupils; (2) The National Curriculum, national qualifications, assessment arrangements and Ofsted inspection expectations influence curriculum decisions; and (3) Group sizes influence the physical education curriculum. We end this article by encouraging physical education and/or curriculum scholars to learn more about alternative provision settings because, at present, there is a dearth of research‐informed knowledge about them despite them becoming a much more prominent feature of the education landscape in England.

There is currently no literature that considers the practicalities of delivering physical education (PE) in alternative provision schools, nor the challenges that this might entail. As such, this paper offers a unique contribution to knowledge by highlighting the key factors that influence the delivery of PE within alternative provision schools in England from the perspectives of practitioners (i.e. those tasked with delivering it). Following a Freedom of Information request, an online survey was distributed to all alternative provision schools in England (n=335, 48 responses). A purposive sample of practitioners (n=14) were then invited to take part in online semi-structured interviews. Qualitative responses from the survey (extracted into an Excel spreadsheet), along with the transcripts from the interviews, were analysed using inductive and deductive procedures. The data were subsequently mapped to the socio-ecological model (McLeroy et al., 1988) to identify what influenced delivery at multiple levels. This included factors at the intrapersonal level (e.g. staff confidence and competence, their pedagogical and content knowledge and feelings of isolation), interpersonal level (e.g. pupil needs/abilities, their behaviour and trauma, confidence, negative experiences of mainstream PE and lack of motivation), institutional level (e.g. spatial constraints, the facilities and equipment available and class sizes), community level (e.g. stigma and a lack of engagement with National Governing Bodies), and public policy level (e.g. recruitment of staff, financial constraints and attainment pressures). This paper presents a range of intersecting factors that influence what happens and how in PE in the context of alternative provision schooling.

Physical education has the potential to achieve the desired outcomes of alternative provision schooling by re‐engaging young people in learning, supporting their social and emotional development and facilitating their reintegration into mainstream schooling. To do so, however, it requires sufficient and appropriate space because, unlike other subjects, its focus on embodied curriculum, embodied pedagogy and embodied learning requires the mind–body–self of young people to move across, within and between space(s). As such, we embrace what Soja (Seeking Spatial Justice, University of Minnesota Press, 2010) termed the ‘spatial turn’ in research and draw on the concept of spatial (in)justice to explore social, economic and environment inequalities in the education and alternative provision landscapes in England. To do so, we gathered empirical evidence via individual interviews with 13 physical education practitioners working in alternative provision schools in England. With the permission of participants, interviews were audio‐recorded and audio transcribed, and the transcripts subjected to reflexive thematic analysis. We discuss spatial injustices in alternative provision physical education through the following themes: (1) accessing space for physical education off‐site; (2) low expectations for appropriate space and making the most of the limited space available for physical education; and (3) weather determining usage of outside space and difficulties gaining external funding for on‐site spaces. We end this article by calling on others to join our efforts to lobby government to ensure that alternative provision settings, new and old, are not exempt from the School Premises Regulations so that a clear, legally binding expectation is created so that sufficient space is provided to teach physical education.

© The Author(s) 2020. Physical education (PE) research has largely been preoccupied with mainstream (regular) schools. This article reports on part of a larger research project that centralises special school PE. In particular, Gramsci’s conceptualisations of hegemony, power and ideology are utilised to help shed light on the key factors that shape the culture of special school PE. A number of key themes were constructed from twelve interviews with special school senior leaders and PE teachers including, ‘economic climate: budgetary constraints’, ‘access to appropriate facilities and learning spaces’ and ‘pressures from Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) and senior management team’. These findings demonstrate how particular historical and contemporary factors contribute to the positioning of PE in special schools. The status and value of PE in these settings is sometimes considered less favourably than other areas of the curriculum or indeed mainstream PE. In spite of this, staff tasked with delivering special school PE had the desire and creativity to offer engaging experiences. In concluding we note that issues concerning economic constraints, limited space to deliver PE and pressures associated with Ofsted can be found in many mainstream schools too. However, honing in on the particular circumstances within special schools broadens insight about PE in contemporary schools.

© 2019 Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Physical education (PE) research focusing on initial teacher education (ITE) and continuing professional development (CPD) have been preoccupied with practitioners in mainstream (regular) schools. This article used situated learning theory to explore special school PE teachers’ perspectives of their ITE and CPD in England. A number of key themes were constructed from six interviews with special school teachers, including, ‘Special educational needs and disabilities are marginalised during initial teacher education’, ‘Special school-based placement may help to prepare trainee teacher’, ‘The professional development opportunities available to special school PE teachers are limited’ and ‘PE-specific CPD should be tailored to the needs of staff and pupils in schools’. Regardless of route into the profession, all teachers recalled a lack of focus on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and inclusion in the context of PE during their ITE. This trend was also evident through subsequent CPD offered, although there were accounts of informal opportunities. In concluding we argue that further consideration must be given to the nature of inclusive PE training offered within ITE. There is also a need to reconsider how CPD can best support career-long professional development that nurtures inclusive PE practitioners.

© 2020, © 2020 Educational Review. Educational “inclusion” has led to a debate about the appropriateness of special and mainstream schools. This paper adds to this debate by drawing on the concept of cultural hegemony to analyse the nature, purpose and value of special school physical education (PE). Eighteen individual interviews explored the perceptions of PE teachers, senior leaders and learning support assistants. The findings suggest that common sense cultural norms in special school PE are underpinned by an aspiration to develop the “whole child”: physically, socially and cognitively. This involved the delivery of a broad curriculum that is guided by a needs-based approach. Special schools appeared to be taking a more open view about what constitutes PE, when compared to mainstream schools, which was also accompanied with a desire to embrace cross-curricular possibilities. We end by offering questions requiring further consideration, and by highlighting opportunities for mutual learning within and across special and mainstream schools.

Much has been said and written about the purpose and value of mainstream education generally and physical education (PE) specifically. However, in contrast, little attention has been given to the purpose and value of alternative provision, and none about PE in those education settings. In this article, we draw upon the concepts of culture, power, and ideology to address this shortcoming. To do so, we conducted individual interviews with eight PE practitioners to generate rich qualitative data. With the permission of participants, all interviews were audio recorded, before being transcribed, and then subjected to thematic analysis. We discuss participant perspectives on the purpose and value of PE in alternative provision schools in relation to the following themes: (1) PE to develop life skills; (2) PE to improve mental health; (3) PE as physical activity and healthy lifestyles; and (4) PE to support young people to engage in sport and physical activity outside of school. During this discussion, we cast light on the PE ideologies and cultural practices that saturate alternative provision settings, before ending by suggesting how PE practitioners can increase the likelihood of their beliefs about the purpose and value of PE being achieved through their practice.

The Equality Act called on British schools to ‘avoid as far as possible by reasonable means, the disadvantage which a disabled pupil experiences’. Teachers, therefore, must be creative and flexible in order to meet the needs and optimise the capabilities of all pupils. Using focus group interviews, this article explores the influence of an online resource on pre‐service teachers’ perceptions of making reasonable adjustments for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Pre‐service teachers appeared committed to making reasonable adjustments, with reports of the online resource being particularly influential on their planning and assessing progress. The influence of the resource was less significant on those pre‐service teachers with previous experience of making reasonable adjustments.

© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. In an attempt to better prepare prospective PE teachers for teaching pupils with disabilities, our research takes up the call of Sparkes, A., Martos-Garcia, D., & Maher, A. (2019). Me, Imperfect Osteogenesis and my classmates in physical education lessons: A case study of embodied pedagogy in action. Sport, Education and Society, 24(4), 338–348 [for an accumulation of ‘case studies involving teacher educators attempting to put embodied pedagogy into action’ (p. 10). We used snapshot vignettes to reflect on our experiences of delivering learning activities that endeavoured to enable 90 prospective PE teachers to (1) simulate visual impairment (VI); and (2) plan and deliver learning activities to peers who were simulating VI. Our discussion centres on the authenticity of simulations and the pedagogical development of prospective PE teachers. From our observations, we remain sceptical about the extent to which the non-disabled Self can empathise with the disabled Other through embodied simulation because of the ease at which the Self could and would step out of the shoes of the Other by removing blindfolds. This disrupted attempts to blur the lines between the prospective PE teachers’ Self and the disabled Other, and thus the extent to which knowledge of the disabled Other in PE was embodied. We did observe, however, some positive pedagogical developments during simulations. These included increased: clarity and precision of verbal instructions; use of pedagogical touch; knowledge of how to adapt learning activities; and critical thought about the concept of educational inclusion. To finish, we argue that the simulation of VI appears to impact positively of the inclusive pedagogies of our prospective teachers, but we call for future research that explores the ethics of these simulations.

Disability simulations have been advocated as a tool to facilitate pedagogical learning among prospective physical education (PE) teachers. However, much of the research currently available neglect the views of people with disabilities about the development and use of such simulations. To address this omission, this study used vignettes and telephone interviews to elicit the views of nine people with visual impairments (VI) regarding the value (or not) of simulating this impairment with prospective PE teachers. Data were analysed thematically and the following themes were constructed in the process: (1) Involving people with VI in simulations; (2) Diversity and complexity of VI; (3) Adapting learning activities; (4) Grouping pupils in relation to ‘ability’; and (5) Seeking the senses and touch as a pedagogical tool. Our findings suggest that simulating VI can (a) facilitate learning about how to plan and teach activities that are tailored to the needs and capabilities of pupils with VI thereby responding creatively to the challenges of inclusion in PE lessons, (b) broaden prospective teachers’ beliefs about ability beyond the physical to include the social, affective and cognitive domains, (c) act as a potential avenue for prospective PE teachers to develop more complex and nuanced views about VI and their own sightedness, and (d) contribute towards disrupting ocular centric, ableist notions of pedagogy in PE as a way of enhancing the meaningful experiences of pupils with VI in lessons. In closing, we reflect on the need for research into the ethics of constructing and delivering VI simulations without involvement from people living with this impairment.

Teachers who demonstrate a high degree of empathy are said to have more positive attitudes towards pupils with disabilities. Therefore, this article sought to explore the influence of a special school placement on prospective teachers’ self-perceptions of empathy. Thirty-two final year undergraduate students participated in focus group interviews and were selected because they aspired to be a physical education teacher and had attended a placement in a special school. Interview transcripts were analysed and the following themes constructed: Stepping into the shoes of the Other ; Frustrated ‘for’ not ‘with’ pupils with disabilities ; Empathy for planning inclusive lessons and ‘reading’ pupil body language ; and Knowing when not to show empathy . All prospective teachers felt that: (a) they could empathise with pupils with disabilities; (b) situated learning experiences within the placement enabled them to reflect on the ways in which their empathy influences their teaching now and could continue to do so in the future; and (c) it was important that teachers demonstrated empathy. Thus, it is recommended that all prospective teachers gain some experience teaching in special schools. Our research also warns against teachers claiming the last, conclusive word about who children with disabilities are, what they think, how they feel and what they want, in myriad contexts and situations.

Disability simulations have developed as a popular profes- sional development tool to help increase knowledge and awareness of disability and facilitate pedagogical learning among prospective and pre-service teachers. The aim of this research is to explore the ethics of sighted people simulating visual impairment from the perspective of visually impaired people. Participants were nine visually impaired adults who read vignettes narrating simulation experiences of prospective physical education teachers in a university setting before being interviewed about their perceptions of what they had read. Interviews were conducted via telephone, and were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis. The themes constructed and discussed in this article from an ethical perspective are: (1) involving visually impaired people in simulated experiences; (2) reinforcing negative attitudes about visually impaired people; (3) tensions involvng touch for pedagogical purposes; and (4) adapting activities and grouping pupils in relation to ‘ability’.

In the UK, one consequence of neoliberalism has been the development of test cultures in schools and standardised assessment strategies used to judge all pupils against within and across curriculum subjects. Few studies to date have explored the influence of this on assessing the learning of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and none have centred physical education (PE). This study used the concept of ableism and semi-structured interviews to explore mainstream secondary school PE teachers’ views and experiences of assessing the learning of pupils with SEND. Based on the findings, we discuss the importance of schools disrupting hegemonic, ableist modes of thinking that cast pupils with SEND as being of inferior ability when compared with their peers and thus being disadvantaged by standardised, normative assessment practices. Specifically, we identify a need for senior leaders and teachers in schools to recognise the needs and capabilities of pupils with SEND, through more holistic assessment approaches that focus on social, affective, cognitive and physical learning and development. We end by discussing the significance of initial teacher education and teacher networks to support this endeavour and advocating for the amplification of the voices of pupils with SEND, given that they have expert knowledge about the perceived inclusivity of assessment in PE because they can draw upon their lived and embodied experiences.

Our research used an innovative methodological approach by revisiting an original study conducted 15 years previously (Morley et al., 2005). A purposive sample of 31 secondary school teachers in the UK were interviewed to explore their perceptions of including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in mainstream secondary physical education (PE). All interviews were transcribed verbatim and texts analysed thematically. Findings suggest that, despite significant policy developments, little has changed in teachers’ perceptions of their ability to include pupils with SEND in PE and there remain significant challenges to them achieving this. Some exceptions were documented, most notably an increased and positively received focus on inclusion within PE initial teacher education. The article concludes with recommendations for future practice, particularly in terms of teacher education and professional development, as well as the need for effective dissemination of research findings to key stakeholders.

This publication originates from a module at the University of Central Lancashire called The Sporting Image. The focus of the book is to take a sideways look at iconic features in sport; characters, events, artefacts and general goings-on.

School-based placements are often used as a way of preparing prospective teachers for the demands of their future role. However, little is known about the impact of such situated learning experiences on prospective PE teachers’ confidence and competence. To the best of our knowledge, this article is the first of its kind to explore prospective teachers’ views of, and experiences within, special schools in order to identify the experiential mechanisms that shape self-perceptions of competence and confidence when teaching pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in PE. Thirty-two final year undergraduate students participated in focus group interviews and were selected on the basis that they: (1) were studying a Special Educational Needs and Disability in PE undergraduate module; (2) aspired to be a PE teacher; and (3) had attended six half-days of placement in a special school. All focus group transcripts were subjected to open, axial and selective coding in order to identify themes and sub-themes. The themes that were constructed from the analysis were: impact of placement role on confidence and competence; impact of knowing pupils’ needs and capabilities; conceptualising confidence and perceptions of its development; and conceptualising competence and perceptions of its development. We use these themes to discuss the usefulness of special school-based placements for preparing aspiring teachers for their role as inclusive educators.