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The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of adults with visual impairments regarding fitness testing during their integrated physical education experiences. An interpretative phenomenological analysis research approach was used and 11 adults (ages 20–35 years) with visual impairments acted as participants. The primary sources of data were semi-structured audiotaped telephone interviews and reflective interview notes. Thematic development was undertaken using a three-step analytical process. Based on the data analysis, the following three interrelated themes were constructed from the data: (a) 'decent at sit-ups, but the others were embarrassing': mixed feelings about performance; (b) 'I couldn't reach my full potential': forced exclusion/inclusion; and (c) 'I felt like a museum exhibit': navigating unwanted social attention. These themes extend the current literature by describing salient features of fitness testing that influence the meaning that individuals with visual impairments place on those experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the experiences of adults with visual impairments during school-based integrated physical education (PE).Method: An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) research approach was used and 16 adults (ages 21-48 years; 10 women, 6 men) with visual impairments acted as participants for this study. The primary sources of data were semistructured audiotaped telephone interviews and reflective field notes, which were recorded during and immediately following each interview. Thematic development was undertaken utilizing a 3-step analytical process guided by IPA.Results: Based on the data analysis, 3 interrelated themes emerged from the participant transcripts: (a) feelings about "being put to the side," frustration and inadequacy; (b) "She is blind, she can't do it," debilitating feelings from physical educators' attitudes; and (c) "not self-esteem raising," feelings about peer interactions. The 1st theme described the participants' experiences and ascribed meaning to exclusionary practices. The 2nd theme described the participants' frustration over being treated differently by their PE teachers because of their visual impairments. Lastly, "not self-esteem raising," feelings about peer interactions demonstrated how participants felt about issues regarding challenging social situations with peers in PE.Conclusions: Utilizing an IPA approach, the researchers uncovered 3 interrelated themes that depicted central feelings, experiences, and reflections, which informed the meaning of the participants' PE experiences. The emerged themes provide unique insight into the embodied experiences of those with visual impairments in PE and fill a previous gap in the extant literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of pedagogical practices have been proposed, described, and promoted by scholars in an effort to help enhance the experiences of visually impaired students in integrated physical education. Trained peer tutoring, where a nondisabled student is trained to serve as a peer tutor for a disabled student, is among them. However, little research has been done that engages directly with visually impaired students about their views and experiences with these pedagogical practices. Using belonging as a conceptual lens to guide and inform methodological and data interpretation decisions, our purpose was to elicit the views of visually impaired youth regarding the use of trained peer tutors in integrated physical education classes. Sixteen visually impaired youth completed two interviews about their views toward physical education generally and the concept of peer tutoring specifically. Interviews were conducted via video conference technology, and were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis. Three interrelated themes were constructed that depict the participants views toward the concept of peer tutoring: (a) peer tutoring might enhance belonging ... maybe, (b) shouldn't this just happen naturally?, and (c) this is not for me. The themes provide insights into the views of visually impaired youth toward peer tutoring as a strategy that may not be supportive of feelings of belonging within integrated physical education. Rather, participants were largely dismissive of the strategy, suggesting that any help needed within this context should be navigated outside of formal pedagogical strategies that may alienate visually impaired students by identifying them as 'needing help'. These findings support suggestions for physical educators to implement this practice only after first permitting students to engage with friends to navigate physical education spaces, and then only afterwards at the discretion of the student. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the views of visually impaired youth about teacher-initiated activity modifications during integrated physical education. This experiential qualitative study included 18 visually impaired youth (ages 12–15 years; seven girls, 11 boys). Each participant completed two semi-structured interviews as data sources for this study. Four themes were constructed based on a reflexive thematic analysis of the interview data: (a) modifications interpreted as care; (b) "the angel and the devil": modifications highlighting impairment; (c) the two-way street to modifications; and (d) modifications are Band-Aids over flawed activities and curriculum. These themes expand upon the current literature by describing how visually impaired youth understand their experiences with modifications in integrated physical education contexts. For many of the participants, activity modifications represented a tangible example of physical education teachers caring for them and caring about their needs. As such, some support for previously explicated benefits of modifications is provided. However, a number of concerns were also raised by our participants about modifications, such as modifications representing poorly conceptualized Band-Aids over poorly constructed activities, as well as modifications spotlighting differences and impairments. Finally, modifications that are promoted as simple and superficial ideas by the literature and executed by physical educators without communication with students appear to be unfavored by visually impaired students. This finding provides further support for the need to shift pedagogical strategies and teaching behaviors to become more flexible and student-centered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, research examining the perspectives of individuals with visual impairments toward the inclusiveness of their experiences in physical education has revealed that feelings associated with inclusion are largely unavailable. Notably, individuals with visual impairments have revealed feelings of frustration and disappointment with being discriminated against by their teachers, who may unknowingly contribute to peers' understanding of students' abilities by communicating ideals of inability. To extend this line of inquiry, this study focused on exploring the role that access plays in informing the perceptions of those with visual impairments toward the inclusiveness of their experiences in physical education. Nine adults with visual impairments were interviewed about their perceptions of their experiences in integrated physical education, and reflective interview notes were recorded. Interviews were conducted via telephone, and were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis. Three cascading themes were constructed based on points of access that were identified as salient across the participants' reflections: (a) 'A lot of times it was in a separate room ... because they didn't want to mess with me': Accessing physical spaces, (b) 'I was with them, but I wasn't': Accessing activities within spaces, and (c) 'The rest of the time I would just stand there and look stupid': Accessing meaningful participation. The cascading themes provide a hierarchy of access points, where individuals must first be provided access to the physical space in which activities occur, then they must be permitted access to activities when in that space, and finally must be provided appropriate accommodations which lead to meaningful participation within those activities. These findings provide support for the assertion that while entry into an integrated space and access to the activities of that space are the first steps toward inclusion, they are not enough to guarantee that students feel included within that space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine physical education (PE) experiences from the perspective of an adult with Bardet-Biedl syndrome. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) research approach was used, and one male (age 32) with Bardet-Biedl syndrome acted as the participant. Sources of data included a semi-structured, audiotaped telephone interview and reflective interview notes. The interview was transcribed verbatim and data were analyzed thematically using a two-step approach informed by the IPA. Three themes emerged from the data: (a) "We were pretty much good friends": The teacher's influence, (b) "You're different, must destroy": Bullying and negative peer interactions, and (c) "I could never see the damn thing coming": Inappropriate and inaccessible activities. These themes provide unique insights into how an individual with Bardet-Biedl syndrome experienced PE. Generally, the participant recalled negative experiences with regards to peer interaction and an inability to participate, but positive memories of one physical educator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]