Enhancing the Physical Education Experiences of Students with Disabilities Through Collaborative Professional Development

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Morrison, Hayley

• SSHRC IDG awarded 2021: My SSHRC funded doctoral research explored teachers’ and EAs’ experiences with PD for inclusive PE and determined that practitioners are not equipped with the knowledge and tools on how to collaborate with each other to provide inclusive learning environments. Collaboration enhances the ability of practitioners to a)value and understand each other’s roles for a collegial relationships and teaching; b)model positive behaviour and communication, and c) ensure a safe, inclusive learning environment. The lack of knowledge on how to collaborate ultimately results in poor communication amongst practitioners and leads to the further exclusion of students with disabilities. A significant outcome of my research was the development of the inclusive PE PD framework: IPE-PD. The framework directly addresses the lack of training practitioners have to teach students with disabilities in PE and supports collaboration amongst the instructional team, which is essential for successful inclusion. The framework in intended as a PD experience for teachers and EAs to complete together, thereby forming a community of practice to facilitate practitioner collaboration. The purpose of this study is to confront the significant and urgent need to improve the PE experiences of students with disabilities by addressing teachers’ and EAs’ preparedness to deliver inclusive PE. As such, the objectives of this research are to implement the IPE-PD framework with practitioners from two schools so as to: (a) evaluate the framework’s influence on practitioners’ inclusive PE practices and their students’ PE experiences; and (b) determine effective ways to implement IPE-PD in school districts and teacher-EA pre-service programs.

• Date created

  2021-02-01

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Insight Development Grant
  • IDG
  • SSHRC
  • Physical Education
  • Inclusion
  • Professional Development
  • Disability
  • Teachers
  • Educational Assistants
  • Communities of Practice
  • Education
  • Post-Secondary Education and Research
  • Western Canada
  • Canada

• Type of Item

  Research Material

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-11wp-pw09

• License

  ©️Morrison, Hayley. All rights reserved other than by permission. This document embargoed to those without UAlberta CCID until 2025.