Evaluating the physical education curriculum of the students with mental disabilities according to the opinions of the parents and teachers in terms of the content, implementation and problems

The aim of this study is to evaluate the existing physical education curriculum with its content, implementation and the experienced problems according to the opinion of the teachers and parents in terms of the expectations. The data was collected in the study by using qualitative data collection methods such as focus group interview and document analysis. The study included voluntary participating classroom teachers working in the province of Zonguldak during the 2015-2016 academic years at the training and practice schools of the mental disables connected to the Ministry of Education and the parents of these children. During the analysis of the qualitative data the classroom teachers of the mentally handicapped (as K,L ,M) and the parents of the students (as A,B,C) were coded with alphabetical letters in order to evaluate the answers given to the questions prepared by the researcher. The results obtained from this coding were classified according to the generated theme. During the coding of the data the main title of the problems were determined. The coding was written in accordance with the interviews in plain text. Then the main themes and coding were classified in the form of tables. The wide diversity of the disabilities and the insufficiency of the physical education curriculum to meet these diversities push the classroom teachers of the mentally disabled students. The low interest of the Ministry of Education towards the special education and the lack of providing helping resources restrict the teachers in the class. The students are left behind in many areas due to the lack of the application fields of the physical education classes and the deficiency of tools and materials. The lack of physical education teachers in schools and the insufficient knowledge of the existing teachers about the mental disabilities slow down the progression in this area by reducing the efficiency. The fact that not enough space is given for activates and games within the physical education classes causes the faster dissolution of the students' attention and their alienation from the class. The insufficient sport activities made within the school reduce the student's interest in physical education. The teachers of the mentally disabled classes cannot see exactly the students' performance in practice due to the fact that they remain inadequate in the practice of the physical education. The low dedication and interest of the parents towards the school or physical education create problems for both the students and also for the teachers. The parents of the student are unaware of the development and change of the children both in the physical education classes as well as in the other classes. The result of this study can be considered as a positive step to be taken on addressing the content, practise and the existing problems of the physical education classes and on the resolution of the existing problems.