Curricular adaptations for the inclusion of students with disabilities in the Physical Activity and Sports Pedagogy career

Abstract

Introduction. The presence of students with disabilities in Higher Education constitutes one of the main challenges of current educational systems, being necessary the establishment of pertinent manifestos that establish policies and statutes of inclusive character, without exception of any career as is the case of the Pedagogy of Physical Activity and Sport. Objective. To investigate the curricular adaptations that promote the inclusion of students with different disabilities in the career of Physical Activity and Sports Pedagogy in the Ecuadorian context. Methodology. Research design: mixed research approach, in its quantitative approach, non-experimental, descriptive, field, and cross-sectional design. In its qualitative approach, a phenomenological design was proposed. Population and sample: 39 teachers of the Physical Activity and Sport Pedagogy Career of 18 universities in Ecuador. Techniques and instruments: The quantitative technique of the survey was applied and as an instrument a self-administered questionnaire on the types of disability and curricular adaptations applied by teachers in the career of Pedagogy of Physical Activity and Sport. In the development of the qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were applied to a student representative of each type of disability, addressing the following topics through an open question. Statistical treatment of the data: SPSS version 25 statistical package, developing an analysis of mean values and standard deviations for variables of quantitative origin and an analysis of frequencies and percentages for variables of qualitative origin. Results. The curricular adaptations applied by teachers in relation to physical, visual, and intellectual disabilities were determined. General, axial, and executive categories that determined an emerging theory based on the perceptions and experiences reported by the subjects involved in the research process. Conclusion. Considerable progress has been made in curricular adaptations for students with disabilities in the career of Physical Activity and Sports Pedagogy, there are notable gaps in terms of effective inclusion and awareness of the educational community. General area of study: Education. Specific area of study: Physical Education.