Examining Theoretical Factors That Influence Teachers’ Intentions to Implement Inclusive Physical Education

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to apply the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior model (COM-B) to examine theoretical predictors of teachers’ intentions to implement inclusive physical education. Methods: Ontario primary and secondary teachers (n = 383) completed an online questionnaire which assessed potential factors associated with intentions toward implementation of inclusive physical education. Results: The final statistical model explained 72% of variance in intentions to implement inclusive physical education with the following theoretical domains identified as significant (p<.05) predictors: knowledge (β .09), professional role and identity (β .22), memory, attention, and decision making (β .14), social influence (β .37), and emotion (β −.20). Regarding the COM-B, the component Motivation explained the greatest amount of variance in intentions to implement inclusive physical education. Conclusions: The application of the TDF and COM-B model in this study work to extend current literature through advancing understanding regarding cognitive, affective, and social factors related to teachers’ intentions to implement inclusive physical education. Teacher training strategies should take into consideration multidimensional approaches to support teachers’ motivations to implement inclusive physical education. Future research and intervention should seek to target and foster factors such as social influences, social/professional role and identity, and knowledge. These factors, in turn, may improve teachers’ intentions to implement inclusive physical education.

KEYWORDS:

• Behavior change
• physical education
• students with disabilities
• theoretical domains framework

Notes

¹ Inclusive education is concerned with a broad equity agenda and challenges educational practices that marginalize student groups (e.g., visible minorities, SWD, students of low socioeconomic status; Ontario Ministry of Education, 2014). For the purposes of this paper, the term inclusion and/or inclusive education refers to pedagogical practices and processes specific to SWD.

² The researchers utilized Huijg, Gebhardt, Dusseldorp, et al. (2014) TDF 12-domain questionnaire.

³ Though conceptualized as part of the COM-B model, motivation and goals (intentions) will serve as the dependent variable.

⁴ In Ontario, elementary school teachers are typically generalist. Generalist teachers are expected to teach broad and diverse course topics, including PE. Though generalist teachers receive preparation regarding PE curriculum and pedagogy, they do not “receive instruction on the disciplinary foundations of PE” (Lu & Lorusso, 2016, p. 1)

Specialist PE teachers have typically studied the subject area in their undergraduate education and have the “foundational knowledge of the biological, physiological, and developmental factors of human movement” (Lu & Lorusso, 2016, p. 2)

⁵ 2010 was the year Steps to Inclusion was released. Therefore, those teachers whose retirement was prior to the publication date were assumed to have not come into professional contact with the resource nor would have the opportunity to apply/conceptualize its usefulness from a pragmatic standpoint.

⁶ Example of modified item:

Original Item: It is my responsibility as a [professional] to [action] in [context, time] with [target population]

Modified Item: It is my responsibility as a teacher to teach inclusive physical education to SWD.