The Effects of a One-day Workshop on Physical Educators' Self-efficacy Toward Inclusion of Students with Autism

Authors

  • Andrea Taliaferro West Virginia University
  • Natasha Pilkington Harris Wilkes Community College

Keywords:

physical education, professional development, inclusion, autism

Abstract

Due to the fact that more students with disabilities are being included into the general physical education classroom (Greenwood & French, 2000; Linert, Sherrill, & Myers, 2001; U.S. Department of Education, 2009), general physical educators need to possess a high self-efficacy or confidence in their ability to work with these students in inclusive settings. This study investigated the effects of a one-day (approximately six hours) workshop on general physical educators' self-efficacy to include students with autism into the general physical education setting. Participants included 38 in-service general physical education (GPE) teachers who participated in the workshop, and 27 GPE teachers who did not. Participants were pre and post surveyed on their self-efficacy beliefs using the PESEISD-A. Results indicated that a one-day workshop did not have a significant impact on physical educators' self-efficacy beliefs toward inclusion. 

Issue

Section

Feature Articles