Brazilian Physical Education Teachers’ Beliefs About Teaching Students With Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse Brazilian physical education teachers’ beliefs about their experiences teaching students with disabilities. Participants were six physical education teachers from schools located in the city of Brasília, Brazil. The research paradigm was descriptive-qualitative situated in the theory of planned behaviour. The primary data source was a focus group interview. Interview data were analysed with constant comparative method and uncovered four major recurrent themes. The first major theme exposes the teachers’ beliefs that their class arrangements were typically integrative, not inclusive. Second, the teachers’ practices were distressed with problems and concerns beyond those of a typical physical education programme. Third, the teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching students with disabilities depended largely on several salient variables. Lastly, the teachers were mostly intrinsically motivated in teaching students with disabilities. School districts should engage teachers in professional development focused on teaching students with disabilities in physical education.