Implementing the adapted physical education E-learning program into physical education teacher education program.

Area of Science:

• Adapted Physical Education
• Teacher Education
• Special Education

Background:

• Inclusion of students with disabilities in general education settings is increasing in Korea (70.4%).
• Pre-service teachers often lack confidence and preparedness to include students with disabilities in physical education.
• Existing research highlights a gap in teacher training for inclusive practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of an adapted physical education (APE) e-learning supplement on pre-service teachers' self-efficacy and content knowledge.
• To determine if an online learning module enhances teachers' ability to include students with intellectual disabilities.
• To explore the effectiveness of different delivery methods for professional development in inclusive physical education.

Main Methods:

• Developed an APE e-learning supplement based on the Instructional Design Model, focusing on self-efficacy sources.
• Compared three groups of pre-service teachers (N=75): e-learning, traditional print handout, and control.
• Administered pre- and post-tests using the Physical Educators' Situation-Specific Self-efficacy and Inclusion Student with Disabilities in Physical Education (SE-PETE-D) and a content knowledge test.

Main Results:

• Pre-service teachers using the e-learning supplement showed a significant increase in perceived self-efficacy (p=0.023).
• No significant difference in content knowledge was found between the e-learning and traditional handout groups (p=0.248).
• The e-learning format positively impacted self-efficacy for inclusive practices.

Conclusions:

• An APE e-learning supplement can effectively enhance pre-service teachers' self-efficacy in including students with intellectual disabilities.
• While self-efficacy improved, the e-learning supplement did not significantly boost content knowledge compared to traditional methods.
• Further research should explore methods to improve content knowledge alongside self-efficacy in teacher training for inclusive physical education.