An examination of the perceptions of physical education and sports teachers and teachers of different branches towards ındividuals with disabilities

This study investigates the perceptions of physical education and sports teachers, as well as teachers from other disciplines, toward individuals with disabilities and to compare these perceptions in the context of various demographic variables. The study, designed using a quantitative method, employs two different designs: descriptive survey and causal-comparative. The population of the study consists of 8,629 teachers working in the city centre of Batman, while the sample is composed of 399 teachers selected from this population using a convenience sampling method. To collect data, the "Demographic Information Form" and the "Perception Scale for Individuals with Disabilities" were used. The scale used in the study is a previously validated and reliable measurement tool, and validity and reliability analyses were also conducted for this scale in the current study. To this end, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Cronbach’s Alpha internal consistency coefficients were adopted. Before the data analysis, the distribution of the dataset was checked through skewness and kurtosis coefficients, revealing that the data did not satisfy the assumption of normal distribution. Therefore, outlier detection was performed using box plots which resulted the exclusion of data from 18 participants from the analysis, and it was revealed that the remaining data followed a normal distribution. Therefore, the analysis was carried out with the data from 381 participants. The dataset used for the analysis includes 85 physical education and sports teachers. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, minimum, maximum, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation, were calculated. For comparisons by demographics, t-test and ANOVA were used, while correlation analysis was conducted for experience and age variables. The findings of the study can be summarized as follows: Physical education and sports teachers rated the "adoption" dimension and the overall scale as "Agree," while they rated the dimensions of "awareness," "individual support," and "social environment" as "Undecided". Similarly, teachers in general rated the "adoption" dimension as "Agree," but rated the dimensions of "awareness," "individual support," "social environment," and the overall scale as "Undecided". It was observed that the perception levels of physical education and sports teachers did not differ statistically significantly from those of teachers in other disciplines. The presence of individuals with disabilities in the immediate environment and receiving training related to disabilities statistically significantly differentiated participants' perceptions in the "awareness" dimension, while awareness of legal regulations related to individuals with disabilities differentiated perceptions in the "adoption" dimension. Additionally, there was a statistically significant association between teachers' age and the "adoption" dimension. The findings of the study were discussed based on the existing literature, and some recommendations based on the results were provided.