The initial teacher education and continued professional development of special school physical education teachers

The inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream /regular school physical education (PE) has been explored from the perspective of teachers, pupils and key support staff (Fitzgerald, 2012; Maher, 2016; Vickerman and Blundell, 2012). Much of the research available suggests that many PE teachers lack the knowledge, skills and experience to include pupils with SEND in mainstream contexts (Vickerman and Coates, 2009). What is missing, however, is research that explores the teacher education experiences of special school PE teachers. This absence is indicative of the apathy existing in England and internationally when it comes to researching special school PE. In part, this has been fuelled by an ideology that positions mainstream education and inclusion as the preferred means of provision for pupils with SEND.


In order to begin to shed light on special school PE, this presentation will report on a small-scale research project that aimed to explore the teacher education experiences of special school PE teachers. For this, qualitative interview data were generated from deliverers of PE. The findings explore: (1) initial teacher education (ITE) experiences and their relevance to PE and SEND; and (2) the type and usefulness of training offered by schools to PE teachers as part of their continued professional development (CPD). The presentation will conclude by exploring what more can be done during ITE and as part of CPD to ensure that special school teachers are adequately trained to include pupils with SEND in PE.