Physical Educators’ Self-Efficacy in Teaching Students with Disabilities Following a Paralympic School Day Professional Development Program

Authors

  • Marie Leake University of Virginia
  • Cathy McKay James Madison University
  • Abby Fines University of Virginia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18666/PALAESTRA-2025-V40-I1-13537

Abstract

This study examined physical educators’ self-efficacy (SE) when teaching students with disabilities in general physical education (PE) after participating in a Paralympic School Day professional development program (PSD-PDP). Thirty-six PE teachers participated in the PSD-PDP. A mixed-method approach with unequal weighting was used. Data were collected through administration of the Self-Efficacy Scale for Physical Education Teacher Education Majors towards Children with Disabilities (SE-PETE-D) and written reflections. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used when analyzing the quantitative data. Qualitative data were analyzed deductively by characteristics of Sensemaking Theory followed by inductive coding. Results indicate a statistically significant increase in SE scores following the PSD-PDP at all levels. Written reflections revealed themes related to challenging prior assumptions and a greater understanding about the ease of implementing inclusive teaching strategies. These themes illustrated the effectiveness of the PSD-PDP in improving PE teachers’ SE when teaching students with disabilities in the general PE setting.

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Published

2026-03-19

Issue

Vol. 40 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Feature Articles

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