Doing things my way: Teaching physical education with a disability

Michelle A. Grenier*, Andrew Horrell, Bryan Genovese

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Having a disability and being a teacher can be a critical site for examining practices associated with ability, competence, and pedagogy. While there is a growing literature base that examines the experiences of students with disabilities in physical education, there is virtually no research that examines the experiences of physical education teachers with disabilities. Using the capability approach, this article explores the experiences of a physical education teaching intern with a physical disability, significant school members, and the students he interacted with through interviews and documents. The results yielded 3 primary themes. The first, "the fluid nature of the disability discourse," demonstrated the complexity of disability and explored the contrast between static tendencies that stereotype disability and the disability experience. The second theme, "doing things my way," reflected the intern's need to distinguish himself as a teacher by defining contexts for experiencing competence. The third and final theme, "agent of change," explored how the intern's experiences as a teacher with a disability informed his educational narrative.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)325-342
Number of pages18
JournalAdapted Physical Activity Quarterly
Volume31
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2014

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • qualitative research
  • teachers with disabilities
  • disability construction
  • disability sports
  • teachers disability
  • capability approach
  • perceptions
  • difference
  • people
  • impact
  • sport
  • model

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Doing things my way: Teaching physical education with a disability'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this