Inclusion in Physical Education: From the Medical Model to Social Constructionism

Abstract

The purpose of this discussion is to explore assumptions that have informed constructions of disability and to challenge these as socially constituted judgments that influence the way teachers think and act in general physical education. A secondary purpose is to introduce social constructionism as a discourse that potentially reshapes constructions of disability by highlighting the relational activity between teachers and students. Using this framework, it becomes possible to consider the cultural construction of disability as informing actions that in many cases, further disable students with disabilities. A relevant question here becomes, what are our expectations, and how did we come to hold them? The article concludes with suggested practices that identify competence and context as central features of instruction in which meaningful actions are possible for students with disabilities.