Expert, HSSF
Inclusive practice in Physical Education – focusing on fitness assessment
15. November, 13h35 – 14h00
Participation in quality education is the fundamental right of every child. The Salamanca Statement emphasized this right, saying it is essential to „provide all children with the same education, providing additional assistance and support to children requiring it” (UNESCO, 1994). Quality education implicitly includes quality Physical Education (P.E.), which in addition to being developmentally appropriate, focusing on learning, taking place in a positive and reflective learning atmosphere having a health- and personality oriented perspective has an inclusive and respectful intercultural approach (Csányi & Révész, 2015); thus supporting the learning organizational processes and solutions that ensure participation of all children with the help of adapted equipment and methods if necessary.
The use of conceptions of inclusive P.E. – just as the practical implementation of inclusive P.E. – differs both internationally and domestically. The usage of a uniform terminology is difficult due to the fact that the terms “integration” as well as “inclusive P.E.” and “adapted P.E.” are used synonymously in some literature by professionals from different disciplines, while the above concepts are differentiated in terms of meaning. According to Stein (1979), inclusive P.E. means the safe, productive, satisfactory physical, educational and social inclusion of disabled people in the general P.E., which requires a supportive personal and material environment. It provides an environment in which all students receive personalized education and sufficient physical activity without hindering the knowledge acquisition and development of their classmates (Kodish, 2006). According to other authors (O’Brian et al., 2009; Kudláček et al., 2010), providing services that maximize participation for each student according to their abilities, helps with the efficient teaching of each student through personalized support and assistance. In order to implement inclusion, it may be necessary to adapt thus adjust or fit the curriculum to suit individual needs. Following the clarification of the conceptual framework related to inclusive P.E. teaching, we outline the possibilities of the practical implementation of inclusive P.E. Through the adaptation of NETFIT® to students with special educational needs we present the possibility of inclusiveness in fitness measurement.