Physical education partnership built on observation
A College partnership with the Clarke County School District (CCSD) is working to bridge gaps in physical education (PE) for students with disabilities, while providing future educators, allied health providers, and more the opportunity to observe and work with preK-12 learners.
Led by T. Nicole Kirk, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, the partnership prepares both undergraduate and graduate students with two distinctive goals depending on the course level.
“When people think about PE, they might think only of competitive sports and games where only the most skilled students are enjoying themselves,” said Kirk. “If the goal of PE is to teach the skills needed to benefit from physical activity across the lifespan, it’s crucial that preservice professionals understand how to create activities that allow all learners to be successful in physical activity, exercise, or sport in the bodies and minds that they have.”
In collaboration with Julie Evans, an adapted PE specialist in CCSD, Kirk supports future physical education teachers as they learn how to approach their practice.
At the undergraduate level, students enrolled in KINS 5620: Pediatric Adapted Physical Activity observe adapted PE (APE)—or physical education specifically designed and modified for learners with disabilities—in a self-contained setting taught by Evans.
While most of these students are planning for careers as general health and physical educators, their future roles may involve teaching students with disabilities, whether in general PE settings or in modified classes, like the College’s Swim & Gym program on campus, which consists solely of student with disabilities.
The College’s partnership also allows students who may not be on the general health and physical education track to see how APE curriculum and instruction compares to their work with pediatric clients in different settings like private practice.
“I want students to see that quality PE doesn’t have to look like just one thing,” said Kirk. “Similarly, I want them to understand that every child can learn new skills, provided that the pace and content support their strengths and needs.”
At the graduate level, students begin their semester by observing the APE classroom for a couple of weeks before working directly with preK-12 students under Evans’ supervision. By the end of the semester, students are responsible for lead teaching in the APE classroom with support from paraprofessionals and special education teachers.
The collaboration between UGA and CCSD, particularly the Swim & Gym program, has grown over the years, especially in terms of student participation.
“We are very proud of our work to get more CCSD students enrolled,” said Kirk. “We went from about 20% CCSD participants to 50% in the past few years. In a practical sense, hands-on opportunities in the community and on-campus allow our students to feel more competent when working with learners with disabilities, so they are more ready to make their activities accessible and feel empowered and responsible to do so.”
Overall, the partnership offers an essential opportunity for undergraduate students to interact with children with disabilities in physical activity settings, and an opportunity for graduate students to receive additional practical experience in a low stake setting.
“While the world has become more open for individuals with disabilities, ableist stereotypes are still common, particularly in physical activity settings,” said Kirk. “Research shows that students with disabilities often report negative experiences in PE, including outright exclusion, unmodified activities, and negative interpersonal interactions with teachers and students. However, the literature also supports the notion that guided hands-on experience can go a long way to counteract this.”