The Influence of the Traditional APE Course on the Attitudes of Pre Service Physical Educators in Saudi Arabia toward Teaching Students with Physical Disabilities

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the influence of the traditional Adapted Physical Education (APE) course on the attitudes of sixty three undergraduate physical education students toward teaching students with physical disabilities (N= 63). All participants were enrolled in traditional undergraduate APE course at the College of Sport Science and Physical Activity in King Saud University in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through the administration of The Attitudes towards Individuals with Physical Disabilities in Physical Education-Revised (ATIPDPE-R) instrument, based on the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 2000). Pre-test and post-tests were administered in this study. Based on the results, pre-test and post-test scores indicated that there was no significant change of the participants’ attitudes towards teaching students with physical disabilities after taking the APE course. However, results showed positive attitudes by analyzing the scores of pre-test and post-test separately for each statement. Specifically, participants showed more positive attitudes in the post-test in the statements of 6, 9 and 12, which were related to the effect of inclusion on the development of personalities of students with physical disabilities, level of knowledge for persons with disabilities, and the quality of teaching in the implementation of the inclusion in PE. Results of this study concluded that the traditional APE course cannot positively affect the attitudes of the future physical educators toward teaching students with specific disabilities.