TY - JOUR
T1 - Physical educators’ experiences and perceptions towards teaching autistic children
T2 - a mixed methods approach
AU - McNamara, Scott W.T.
AU - Healy, Sean
AU - Bittner, Melissa
AU - Blagrave, Josephine
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Background: Physical educators often reported being ill-equipped to teach autistic children. Furthermore, autistic children often report having negative experiences in physical education. The physical educator is key to shaping these experiences; however, research examining these educators’ perspective towards teaching autistic children is limited. Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore physical educators’ experiences working with autistic children. Method: A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach was utilized by first administering a questionnaire to physical educators about their perceptions towards teaching autistic children, and second, conducting in-depth interviews with a subset of the sample. Results: Survey data revealed that participants perceived that a variety of autistic characteristics challenging their ability to effectively teach autistic children. These challenges were further elaborated on in qualitative data in the theme of ‘autism is a spectrum: an array of challenges’. Moreover, participants discussed strategies employed to effectively work with autistic children (theme 2: ‘best practices’), including the importance of relationship building (theme 3: ‘relationship building is vital’). Conclusions/Implications: Although physical educators are using various evidence-based practices and hold some views that the challenges autistic children face are partly attributed to society and the structures within it, a medical model viewpoint continues to be prominent. Future research should examine how physical educators form their views towards teaching autistic children.
AB - Background: Physical educators often reported being ill-equipped to teach autistic children. Furthermore, autistic children often report having negative experiences in physical education. The physical educator is key to shaping these experiences; however, research examining these educators’ perspective towards teaching autistic children is limited. Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore physical educators’ experiences working with autistic children. Method: A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach was utilized by first administering a questionnaire to physical educators about their perceptions towards teaching autistic children, and second, conducting in-depth interviews with a subset of the sample. Results: Survey data revealed that participants perceived that a variety of autistic characteristics challenging their ability to effectively teach autistic children. These challenges were further elaborated on in qualitative data in the theme of ‘autism is a spectrum: an array of challenges’. Moreover, participants discussed strategies employed to effectively work with autistic children (theme 2: ‘best practices’), including the importance of relationship building (theme 3: ‘relationship building is vital’). Conclusions/Implications: Although physical educators are using various evidence-based practices and hold some views that the challenges autistic children face are partly attributed to society and the structures within it, a medical model viewpoint continues to be prominent. Future research should examine how physical educators form their views towards teaching autistic children.
KW - Autism spectrum disorder
KW - evidence-based practice
KW - medical model
KW - relationship building
KW - teacher training
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85127311921&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13573322.2022.2052835
DO - 10.1080/13573322.2022.2052835
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85127311921
SN - 1357-3322
VL - 28
SP - 522
EP - 535
JO - Sport, Education and Society
JF - Sport, Education and Society
IS - 5
ER -