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BJVI
THE BRITISH
JOURNAL OF
VISUAL
IMPAIRMENT
F R A N K H E R O L D A N D JAC K DA N D O L O
University of Birmingham, UK
K E Y WO R D S
INTRODUCTION
The publication of the Green Paper Every Child Matters marked the
beginning of a significant new Government agenda aimed at improving
the well-being of children and young people in the United Kingdom
(DfES, 2003). The Governments expressed aim is for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they
need to achieve the Every Child Matters core outcomes: be healthy;
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T H E B R I T I S H J O U R NA L O F V I S U A L I M PA I R M E N T 2 7 ( 1 )
stay safe; enjoy and achieve; make a positive contribution; and achieve
economic well-being. Its core outcomes were the guiding principles of
the latest curriculum revision of the National Curriculum in Physical
Education (DfES, 2007). As a result, schools are requested to facilitate
an increased personalization of learning for every pupil, taking into
account their personal and educational needs.
However, research in physical education would suggest that there is a
discrepancy between inclusive curriculum aspirations and school-day
reality (Fitzgerald, 2005; Hodge et al., 2004; Morley et al., 2005).
Whilst expressed curriculum intentions for physical education are
inclusive, pupils with specific learning needs and disabilities continue
to encounter numerous barriers to equitable participation and learning
(Block and Obrusnikova, 2007; Fitzgerald, 2006; Smith and Thomas,
2006). A similar picture emerges in recent research related to visually
impaired pupils in physical education (Grenier, 2006; Lieberman and
Houston-Wilson, 2002; OConnell et al., 2006; Stuart et al., 2006).
Given the apparent discrepancy between curriculum aspirations and
practice, this research project set out to consider the contentious issue
of inclusion in physical education by exploring the personal stories
and experiences of a visually impaired (totally blind) pupil, his physical
education teacher and his learning support assistant.
H E R O L D & DA N D O L O : I N C L U D I N G V I S U A L LY I M PA I R E D S T U D E N T S
METHOD
A case study method was adopted for this research project as it aimed
to understand the feelings and beliefs of individuals involved in realworld settings. The participating pupil was a 13-year-old (Year 9/Key
Stage 3) male pupil who attended a school for children with moderate
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T H E B R I T I S H J O U R NA L O F V I S U A L I M PA I R M E N T 2 7 ( 1 )
learning difficulties with 260 pupils. This pupil was totally blind and
also had moderate learning difficulties. The pupils one-to-one learning
support assistant was present during all relevant stages of the investigation. The learning support assistant was an experienced, level 2 qualified female, with 7 years of experience in this role. She also had been
working with this pupil for three years on a one-to-one basis. The physical education teacher was a male full-time teacher with 11 years of
teaching experience, six of which had been at mainstream schools. He
also was the Head of Physical Education at the school.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with all parties. The areas to
be reviewed during interviews were previewed during initial discussions with the physical education teacher and the learning support
assistant to ensure the relevance, completeness and appropriateness of
the questions.
Field observations stretched over a period of 30 hours.
LIMITATIONS
It is clear that there are several limitations to this case study. First, the
small number of participants negates any attempts to generalize the
findings of this study. Second, the selection of a moderate learning difficulty school limits the relevance that the findings may have for mainstream schools. However, the tight focus on the nucleus of participants
in this study is also considered to be the main strength of this investigation, since it allowed the researcher to explore the experiences of the
participants and gain a meaningful understanding of the nature of the
learning experience they shared.
FINDINGS
Training, development and support
The perceived importance of training, development and support in relation to including visually impaired pupils in physical education lessons
was highlighted by the physical education teacher and the pupils oneto-one learning support assistant. However, it was more the absence
rather than the presence of such training that appeared to be of significance. Whilst both had received generic training related to pupils with
special educational needs while at the school, the physical education
teacher stated that, until most recently, he had received no dedicated
training in the field of teaching visual impaired pupils. In addition to
this he had received no professional development in teaching pupils
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H E R O L D & DA N D O L O : I N C L U D I N G V I S U A L LY I M PA I R E D S T U D E N T S
T H E B R I T I S H J O U R NA L O F V I S U A L I M PA I R M E N T 2 7 ( 1 )
supportive in nature, thus did not have a significant impact on developing pedagogical approaches and practical strategies related to teaching visually impaired pupils in physical education.
The physical education teacher also regarded the curricular guidance
and exemplification materials about the National Curriculum in
Physical Education to be limited as far as teaching visually impaired
pupils in physical education is concerned.
I dont think the National Curriculum is supported as much as it
could be. I dont see stuff coming out from the DfES [Department for
Education] thats specifically talking about visual impairment and
how I can address that in PE. I get stuff about ICT and how I can
address that in PE. I get stuff about literacy strategy and how I can
address that within my PE. I have never received anything regarding
visual impairment. We have had stuff on learning difficulties but its
been very, very low level... Weve not actually even used that.
(Physical education teacher)
The physical education teacher also considered the assessment arrangements as outlined in the National Curriculum for Physical Education to
be problematic for his visually impaired pupil, as he felt that they did
not allow the pupil to fully demonstrate his abilities and be rewarded
for the progress he had made. This, however, did not seem to affect his
personal motivation and enthusiasm about his teaching and he strongly
valued the inclusive ethos at his current school.
The views and experiences of both the physical education teacher and
the learning support assistant concurred with the body of literature
(Fitzgerald et al., 2004; Morley et al., 2005) in highlighting the importance of training, development and support in enabling PE teachers to
fully meet the needs and requirements of visually impaired pupils.
H E R O L D & DA N D O L O : I N C L U D I N G V I S U A L LY I M PA I R E D S T U D E N T S
clearly took pride in her contributions to the pupils learning and also
felt a positive emotional bond towards him.
The teacher also regarded the learning support assistant as central to the
learning of the pupil. During observations it became clear that the permanent presence of the learning support assistant constituted the most valuable resource for the pupil, clarifying and adapting activities and helping
to facilitate physical engagement, while monitoring health and safety
issues. Interestingly, on asking the pupil who his physical education
teacher was, he named the learning support assistant (!) rather than the
actual physical education teacher. This would indicate that, from his experience, the specialist learning support assistant was the most influential
person in his physical education lesson. Indeed, one would be hard
pressed to find a more pertinent example to underline the importance of
learning support assistants for pupils with similar specific education needs.
T H E B R I T I S H J O U R NA L O F V I S U A L I M PA I R M E N T 2 7 ( 1 )
H E R O L D & DA N D O L O : I N C L U D I N G V I S U A L LY I M PA I R E D S T U D E N T S
References
BLOCK, M. & OBRUSNIKOVA,
T H E B R I T I S H J O U R NA L O F V I S U A L I M PA I R M E N T 2 7 ( 1 )
FITZGERALD, H., STEVENSON, P. & BOTTERILL, M.
FRANK HEROLD
School of Education
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT, UK
Email: f.a.herold@bham.ac.uk
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