Integrating Children with Special Needs in Physical Education: A School District Assessment Model from Finland
in Adapted Physical Activity QuarterlyClick name to view affiliation
The purpose was to develop a model to guide assessment for physical education planning for integration and inclusion at the school district level. A secondary goal was to determine if teachers’ gender, age, education, and experience of teaching children with special needs are associated with beliefs about barriers to integration. To test the model, data were collected from physical education specialists and classroom teachers in central Finland. The survey instruments were three scales: (a) Awareness of Individual Differences Survey, (b) Survey of Adapted Physical Education Needs–Finnish modification (SAPEN-F), and (c) Teacher Beliefs About Physical Education Integration Scale. Results indicated that Finnish teachers know they have students with special needs. PE specialists and classroom teachers share many common beliefs about priority needs. Teachers believe that the most important barrier that hinders physical education integration is attitude. The model described herein worked in Finland and is ready for further testing by other countries.
Pilvikki Heikinaro-Johansson is with the Department of Physical Education, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, SF-40351 Jyväskylä, Finland. Claudine Sherrill is with the Department of Kinesiology, Texas Woman’s University, P.O. Box 23717, Denton, TX 76204.
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