Difficulties and Successes Physical Education Teachers Experience with School Inclusion

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to identify situations of difficulty and success of the two physical education teachers during regular classes with students with disabilities and students with autism to subsidize a plan for a Continuing Education. The participants were two physical education teachers who worked in an Elementary School, from the first to the fifth grades, in a city of the Midwest region in São Paulo State. Twelve T1 classes and sixteen T2 classes were video recorded. The recordings were categorized into themes. For T1, three themes were identified: successful situations; difficulties related to the strategy; and the lack of purposeful action in relation to inclusion. For T2, seven themes were identified: situations of success and difficulties related to content selection, teaching strategy, teaching resources, the students' characteristics, lack of purposeful action in relation to inclusion and possibilities and difficulties related to the presence of the classroom teacher during the Physical Education class. It was concluded that the two teachers found it difficult to include students with disabilities and students with autism in the class, but they were also experiencing successful situations. The recordings allowed detailing the needs of teachers and understanding that Continuing Education should be developed in order to consider the context of the classes and to assist in minimizing the difficulties and enhancing the successful actions. (AU)