Including Visually Impaired Students in Physical Education Lessons a Case Study of Teacher and Pupil...

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DOI: 10.1177/0264619608097744

2009 27: 75British Journal of Visual ImpairmentFrank Herold and Jack Dandolo

teacher and pupil experiencesncluding visually impaired students in physical education lessons: a case study of

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Including visually impaired students

in physical education lessons:

a case study of teacher and

pupil experiences

F R A N K H E R O L D A N D J A C K D A N D O L OUniversity of Birmingham, UK

A BS TR AC T Following recent education policy and curriculumchanges in England, the notion of inclusion of children with spe-cial educational needs in physical education has increasinglybecome a topic of research interest and concern. It was the aimof this study to explore personal experiences and perspectives ofinclusion in physical education. To this end this study used aseries of interviews and observations with a visually impaired(blind) pupil, a physical education teacher and a learning sup-

port assistant at a school for children with moderate learning dif-ficulties. The findings highlighted four significant areas ofimpact: the role of teacher training and development; the role oflearning support assistants; resources; and the limitations of theNational Curriculum in Physical Education as a framework forinclusion. Recommendations on how to address these issues inorder to improve the standards of inclusion for visually impairedpupils in physical education are made.

KE Y WO RD S Every Child Matters, inclusion, national

curriculum, physical education, teacher training, visualimpairment

INTRODUCTION

The publication of the Green Paper Every Child Matters marked thebeginning of a significant new Government agenda aimed at improvingthe well-being of children and young people in the United Kingdom(DfES, 2003). The Governments expressed aim is for every child, what-ever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they

need to achieve the Every Child Matters core outcomes: be healthy;

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Copyright 2009 SAGE Publications(Los Angeles, London, New Delhi,Singapore and Washington DC)Vol 27(1): 7584

DOI:10.1177/0264619608097744RESEARCH REPORT

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stay safe; enjoy and achieve; make a positive contribution; and achieveeconomic well-being. Its core outcomes were the guiding principles ofthe latest curriculum revision of the National Curriculum in PhysicalEducation (DfES, 2007). As a result, schools are requested to facilitate

an increased personalization of learning for every pupil, taking intoaccount their personal and educational needs.

However, research in physical education would suggest that there is adiscrepancy between inclusive curriculum aspirations and school-dayreality (Fitzgerald, 2005; Hodge et al., 2004; Morley et al., 2005).Whilst expressed curriculum intentions for physical education areinclusive, pupils with specific learning needs and disabilities continueto encounter numerous barriers to equitable participation and learning

(Block and Obrusnikova, 2007; Fitzgerald, 2006; Smith and Thomas,2006). A similar picture emerges in recent research related to visuallyimpaired pupils in physical education (Grenier, 2006; Lieberman andHouston-Wilson, 2002; OConnell et al., 2006; Stuart et al., 2006).

Given the apparent discrepancy between curriculum aspirations andpractice, this research project set out to consider the contentious issueof inclusion in physical education by exploring the personal storiesand experiences of a visually impaired (totally blind) pupil, his physical

education teacher and his learning support assistant.

BARRIERS TO INCLUSION IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The prevalent research view of inclusion in physical education suggeststhat pupils with disabilities and/or special educational needs are disad-vantaged in physical education and sport (Block and Obrusnikova, 2007;Fitzgerald et al., 2003, 2004; Hodge et al., 2004; Morley et al., 2005;Smith and Thomas, 2006). Whilst positive attitudes towards inclusion areprevalent, research consistently points out that many physical education

teachers feel ill prepared to teach pupils with special educational needsand/or disabilities, highlighting deficiencies in initial teacher educationand continuous professional development as a concern (Fitzgerald et al.,2004, 2005; Hodge et al., 2004; Morley et al., 2005).

Fitzgerald et al. (2004) and Golder et al. (2005) point out that the gen-eral area of special educational needs and inclusion is often overlookedin initial teacher training and development, with other issues such asgender, social situations or ethnicity given preference. Hodge et al.

(2004) also identified lack of training and knowledge to be a significantfactor in physical educators struggles to achieve inclusion in their teaching.

T H E B R I T I SH J O U R N A L O F V I SU A L I MP A I R MEN T 2 7 ( 1 )

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They concluded that, despite mostly positive attitudes towards inclusion,teachers frequently failed to modify and adapt their instruction to fullymeet the needs, interests and abilities of students with disabilities.

A comprehensive study by Morley et al. (2005), conducting in-depthinterviews with physical education teachers in schools throughout thenorth-east of England, supports these findings, identifying a range ofshort-comings in initial teacher education and continuous professionaldevelopment. They conclude that, in order to successfully promoteinclusion of pupils with special educational needs in physical educa-tion, teachers require a deeper knowledge and understanding of inclu-sion issues and strategies.

UNHEARD VOICES: PUPILS AND LEARNINGSUPPORT ASSISTANTS

Historically, the majority of the research into special educational needsand disability in physical education has centred on teachers views andbeliefs. Fitzgerald (2005) and Smith and Thomas (2006) highlight thelack of research into the experiences of pupils themselves, insisting thatmore research needs to take into account pupils views. In addition tothis, several studies identify the importance of the role of learning sup-

port assistants in physical education lessons (Hodge et al., 2004;Morley et al., 2005; Smith and Green, 2004; Smith and Thomas, 2006).Commonly, teachers emphasize that, without learning support assis-tants, teaching classes that include pupils with a range of special edu-cational needs is very challenging, due to the time and attention thesepupils require (Morley et al., 2005).

Taking into account the relative paucity of studies that include the viewsof disabled pupils and those of learning support assistants, this researchproject was designed to allow for the voices of all parties to be heard.The individual experiences and perspectives of the visually impairedpupil, as well as the learning support assistant and the physical educa-tion teacher would be explored to gain an understanding of inclusionaspects relevant to their respective situations.

METHOD

A case study method was adopted for this research project as it aimedto understand the feelings and beliefs of individuals involved in real-

world settings. The participating pupil was a 13-year-old (Year 9/KeyStage 3) male pupil who attended a school for children with moderate

H ER O LD & D A N D O LO : I N C LU D I N G V I SU A LLY I MP A I R ED ST U D EN T S

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with special educational needs during his six years at mainstreamschools.

Whilst he valued the opportunity to access this generic training, he was

not convinced that the level and quality of this had been high enoughto enhance his practice. Some of these training opportunities were con-ducted alongside mainstream colleagues, and he was critical of theirunderstanding of inclusion issues.

The things I see people doing on these inclusion courses werealready doing here... Im not blowing our own trumpet and things,but we do a lot of stuff to include kids here. I think there are a lot ofpeople who dont know whats going on in the inclusion field and

they [pause] they look at inclusion and they see integration as inclu-sion. They think just because you get a kid in a lesson that is inclu-sion. Inclusion is actually looking at the individuals needs and thenaddressing those within your lesson and I dont think that is happen-ing. (Physical education teacher)

Having sought some help from the local authoritys SEN advisory serv-ice, his only support in teaching visually impaired pupils comprised avisit from one of the authoritys advisory staff. Whilst the teacher

enjoyed the opportunity to discuss the needs of his visually impairedpupils, this appeared to have no significant impact on his practice. Thismay have been due to the fact that the support had a generic focus, andwas not specific to physical education. The most positive effect thephysical education teacher identified following this visit was to be leftwith some useful resource cards, which gave him some practical ideasfor his teaching. He was aware that aspects of his practice related toworking with his visually impaired pupil were isolated and often reliedon idea generation from within, building his teaching on his own ideasand experiences. Whilst he was clearly proud of the achievements thathe, the learning support assistant and the pupil shared, the limitationsof their practice, for instance in generating ideas for inclusion in inva-sion games, were evident in some of his reflections.

The learning support assistant also stressed that she had not receivedsufficiently specific training in relation to working so closely with ablind pupil in physical education. Although members of the authoritysadvisory service came into school to work with the pupil on a regularbasis during main curriculum sessions, there appeared to be limited

guidance for the learning support assistant as far as physical educationwas concerned. The help provided by the local authority, whilst


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clearly took pride in her contributions to the pupils learning and alsofelt a positive emotional bond towards him.

The teacher also regarded the learning support assistant as central to the

learning of the pupil. During observations it became clear that the perma-nent presence of the learning support assistant constituted the most valu-able resource for the pupil, clarifying and adapting activities and helpingto facilitate physical engagement, while monitoring health and safetyissues. Interestingly, on asking the pupil who his physical educationteacher was, he named the learning support assistant (!) rather than theactual physical education teacher. This would indicate that, from his expe-rience, the specialist learning support assistant was the most influentialperson in his physical education lesson. Indeed, one would be hard

pressed to find a more pertinent example to underline the importance oflearning support assistants for pupils with similar specific education needs.

Resources, facilities and equipmentThe teacher and the learning support assistant felt that the practicalresource base to cater for the visually impaired pupils needs could befurther developed. However, financial constraints, and to some extenthis own limited awareness about the availability of effective inclusionresources, appeared to be the most significant barriers to achieving this.The teacher felt that more exemplification guidance and advancedresources to support the learning of visually impaired pupils should beprovided centrally. During the observation of a gymnastics lesson, forinstance, the teacher made clear his frustration that there were no suit-able, centrally devised resources, such as specialist worksheets for gym-nastics in braille or any other suitable formats that the visually impairedpupil could understand and use independently.

Wherever adapted equipment was available this was used purposefully to

include the pupil in the lesson. During one softball lesson, for instance, itwas the use of a stand-base that allowed the pupil to become included inbatting, and audible balls were used to include the pupil in many othergames activities. However, the standard of these resources was not alwaysas high as it should have been and this sometimes caused frustration forthe pupil. When asked what he thought about a deflating jingle ball heused for one of the activities, he plainly described this as rubbish, a clearindication that his enjoyment of the lesson was compromised. Whilst theteacher used and adapted general inclusion materials, it was clear that

with respect to high quality learning resources, the visually impaired pupilwas sometimes experiencing inequitable learning situations.


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CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE IMPLICATIONS

The findings of this study have highlighted several relevant aspects ofinclusion. It was evident that, in line with Hodge et al. (2004), the

teacher and the learning support assistant had positive attitudes towardsinclusion and were aspiring towards achieving this for their pupil. In par-ticular, the role of the one-to-one learning support assistant was centralto the participation and learning experiences of the visually impairedpupil, giving him both instructional and emotional support. On thewhole, the pupil appeared to feel very comfortable, safe and at easewhen participating in his lessons. The pupils appreciation of the helpprovided by his learning support assistant provided the most outstandingfeature of his physical education experience. It might be worth notinghere that over-reliance on this support can also disenfranchise pupils.

However, whilst it was clear that both staff aspired to achieve a positivelearning experience for their pupil, and in many ways succeeded indoing so, it was also apparent that lack of specific training and guidancemade them feel unsure about aspects of their practice. At times theirreliance on personal ingenuity appeared to develop well-intentionedoutcomes, rather than best practice. In particular, the lack of strategiesand resources to promote the pupils independent learning skills resultedin the adoption of a limited range of learning styles, reducing the variety

of the pupils learning experiences. This concurs with aforementionedresearch (Fitzgerald et al., 2004; Morley et al., 2005; Smith and Thomas,2006), sensing a gap between inclusive curriculum intentions and theschool-day reality for visually impaired pupils in physical education.

Given the general commitment of physical educators to fulfil the inclusionagenda, several steps can be taken to support them in their quest to ensureconsistently high-quality physical education experiences for visuallyimpaired pupils. The specific continuous professional development needs

and support needs for practitioners working with visually impaired pupilsboth need to be met effectively. This should crucially extend to learningsupport assistants, who play a pivotal role for pupils. Resource needs forvisually impaired pupils should be audited systematically and furtherdevelopment of central and accessible learning resource bases, includingmore advanced learning resources, should be considered. A process ofnational auditing, signposting and publicizing such materials more visiblymight help to further support schools in developing best practice.

Opportunities are now increasingly available to physical educationteachers to develop such practice. Actively seeking support and advice


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from organizations such as the English Federation for Disability Sport,British Blind Sport and the Youth Sport Trust can provide many oppor-tunities and ideas for access to resources that were previously not avail-able to physical educators. The Royal National Institute for Blind People

(RNIB) has also started to provide advice for curriculum planning inphysical education and specific staff development courses in order todevelop and promote best practice in physical education. In its Fit for

All Including Children with Sight Problems in Sportpublication theRNIB (2005) also provides some detailed and useful advice for practi-tioners who are seeking to develop their practice further. This provisioncoincides with a growing range of extra-curricular opportunities andsporting offers for visually impaired and blind participants in sport.

In addition to this, the substantial funding for physical education that iscurrently provided through the Physical Education, School Sport andClub Links Strategy (DfES, 2003), has resulted in a national network oflocal schoolsport partnerships, which increasingly offer opportunities toaccess specialist advice, receive support and share good practice. Giventhe realization that physical education and sport are so important intodays couch potato society, it would appear that this is a good time toseize the Every Child Matters agenda in order to strive for consistentlyhigh-quality physical education experiences for visually impaired pupils.

ReferencesBLOCK, M. & OBRUSNIKOVA, I. (2007) Inclusion in Physical Education: A Review of

the Literature from 19952005,Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly24(2):10322.

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT (1999) Physical Education: TheNational Curriculum for England. London: HMSO.

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND SKILLS (2003) Every Child Matters. Online:http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/aims/ [accessed June 2007].

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND SKILLS (2007) Programmes of Study PhysicalEducation (Draft for consultation 5 February 2007). Online:http://www.qca.org.uk/ [accessed July 2007].

FITZGERALD, H. (2005) Still Feeling Like a Spare Piece of Luggage? EmbodiedExperiences (Dis)Ability in Physical Education and School Sport, PhysicalEducation & Sport Pedagogy10(1): 4159.

FITZGERALD, H. (2006) Disability and Physical Education, in D. Kirk,D. Macdonald & M. OSullivan (eds) Handbook of Physical Education,pp. 75266. London: SAGE.

FITZGERALD, H., JOBLING, A. & KIRK, D. (2003) Valuing the Voices of Young Disabled

People: Exploring Experiences of Physical Education and Sport, EuropeanJournal of Physical Education 8(2): 175201.


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FITZGERALD, H., STEVENSON, P. & BOTTERILL, M. (2004) Including Disabled Pupils inPE and School Sport: Teachers CPD Experiences, The British Journal ofTeaching Physical Education35(4): 438.

GOLDER, G., NORWICH, B. & BAYLISS, P. (2005) Preparing Teachers to Teach Pupils

with Special Educational Needs in more Inclusive Schools: Evaluating aPGCE Development,British Journal of Special Education 32(2): 929.GRENIER, M. (2006) A Social Constructionist Perspective of Teaching and

Learning in Inclusive Physical Education, Adapted Physical ActivityQuarterly23: 24560.

HODGE, S. R., AMMAH, J. O. A., CASEBOLT, K., LAMASTER, K. & SULLIVAN, M. (2004) HighSchool General Physical Education Teachers Behaviours and BeliefsAssociated with Inclusion, Sport, Education and Society9(3): 395419.

LIEBERMAN, L. & HOUSTON-WILSON, C. (2002) Perceived Barriers to IncludingStudents with Visual Impairments in General Physical Education, Adapted

Physical Activity Quarterly19(3): 36477.MORLEY, D., BAILEY, R., TAN, J. & COOKE, B. (2005) Inclusive Physical Education:Teachers Views of Including Pupils with Special Educational Needs and/orDisabilities in Physical Education, European Physical Education Review11(1): 84107.

OCONNELL, M., LIEBERMAN, L. J. & PETERSEN, S. (2006) Practice Report: The Use ofTactile Modelling and Physical Guidance as Instructional Strategies inPhysical Activity for Children Who Are Blind, The Journal of VisualImpairment and Blindness100(8): 4717.

RNIB (2005) Fit for All Including Children with Sight Problems in Sport.

Peterborough: RNIB.SMITH, A. & GREEN, K. (2004) Including Pupils with Special Educational Needs inSecondary School Physical Education: A Sociological Analysis of TeachersViews,British Journal of Sociology of Education 25(5): 593607.

SMITH, A. & THOMAS, N. (2006) Including Pupils with Special Educational Needsand Disabilities in National Curriculum Physical Education: A Brief Review,European Journal of Special Needs Education 21(1): 6983.

STUART, M. E., LIEBERMAN, L. & HAND, K. E. (2006) Beliefs about Physical Activityamong Children Who Are Visually Impaired and Their Parents,The Journalof Visual Impairment and Blindness100(4): 22334.

FRANK HEROLD

School of EducationUniversity of BirminghamEdgbastonBirminghamB15 2TT, UKEmail: [email protected]


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