Goalball as a strategy for the educational inclusion of students with visual impairment

Abstract

Introduction. Goalball, a Paralympic sport designed specifically for people with visual impairment, emerges as a powerful tool to promote educational inclusion. Objective. To design a strategy based on this sport, which allows the development of educational inclusion processes between students with visual impairment and those without visual impairment, and to experimentally prove it. Methodology. Mixed approach, proposing in its quantitative stage research of applied type, by pre-experimental design and in the qualitative stage a phenomenological design. The study sample of 15 participants was selected through a non-probabilistic sampling by insertion criterion (blind students) with a total of 6 participants from a Specialized Institution and by a voluntary sampling (conventional students), a total of 9 participants from a Public Education Institution. The observation technique was applied and as instruments an observation sheet of the inclusive processes within the Physical Education class was used, in addition, an in-depth interview was applied to determine the experiences lived during the intervention conducted. The SPSS 26 statistical package was used for the development of a descriptive and inferential analysis between the study periods. Results. Significant differences were obtained between the study periods in all the dimensions that determine the level of inclusion within the Physical Education class, in addition to a general, axial, and executive category approach based on the experiences expressed by the participants. Conclusion. The practice of Goalball in schools fosters inclusion and empathy among students, showing that adapting environments and sharing experiences builds a more inclusive and diversity-conscious educational community. General area of study: Education. Specific area of study: Physical Education.