Attitudes of sports sciences students toward individuals with disabilities

This study aims to determine the attitudes of sports sciences students toward individuals with disabilities and to examine these attitudes in relation to variables such as gender, age, type of sport, having an acquaintance with a disability, taking a course on disability, and parents' educational background. The study was conducted using the relational survey model and included 254 students from various universities in Turkey, all studying in Faculties of Sport Sciences, selected through convenience sampling and participating voluntarily. The "Attitudes Toward Disability Scale" was used as the data collection tool. The findings revealed that male students had significantly more positive attitudes toward individuals with disabilities compared to female students. In addition, it was found that as the educational level of the parents increased, students' attitude scores also tended to increase. On the other hand, variables such as type of sport, having an acquaintance with a disability, taking a course related to disability, and age did not significantly affect students' attitudes. Overall, the results align with some previous studies, while differing from others. This suggests that attitudes toward individuals with disabilities are multidimensional and shaped not only by the variables examined but also by cultural context, educational background, and personal experiences.