Still feeling like a spare piece of luggage? Embodied experiences of (dis)ability in physical education and school sport

“Indeed, within contemporary society youthful, slim, toned and sensual bodies are held with the highest regard (Shilling, 1996; Wright, 2000; Oliver, 2001).”

“, 2017), of students who do not fulfill traditional views of “a fit body” (Fitzgerald, 2005).”

“need of special support in mainstream educational settings has increased in many countries (Fitzgerald, 2005; Smith & Thomas, 2006).”

“Further, social comparison was perceived negatively by the participating children, similar to findings in a study on children with disabilities in PE (Fitzgerald, 2005).”

“…despite teachers ’ positive intentions when implementing activity modi fi cations, they may be unwittingly placing an unwanted spotlight on disabled people, reproducing able-bodiedness, and therefore contributing to forms of exclusion (Fitzgerald, 2005; Moola et at., 2011; Slee and Allen, 2001).”

“, 2004) and sport (Fitzgerald, 2005; Haegele and Sutherland, 2015), despite having unique perspectives on their engagement and learning (Byrnes and Rickards, 2011; Cook-Sather, 2006) that should be heard and responded to.”

“Thus, inclusion in the school subject of PEH is still problematic and challenging, both in terms of accessibility and participation (Fitzgerald, 2005, 2012; Jerlinder, 2010; Nygren, 2008).”

“Some pupils with SEN spend less time in PE lessons and often participate in a narrower PE curriculum when compared to their cohort (Atkinson and Black, 2006; Fitzgerald, 2005; Fitzgerald et al., 2003a, 2003b; Goodwin and Watkinson, 2000; Morley et al., 2005; Smith, 2004; Smith and Green, 2004; Sport England, 2001).”

“My impression is that regardless of whether the reader is interested in game-centred approaches (Harvey and Jarrett, 2014), issues of inclusion (Fitzgerald, 2005), movement competence (Evans et al., 2004), or any other topic that has ‘attracted attention’ of physical education scholars, valuable…”

“Including the voices and lived experiences of people with disabilities also concurs with the work of Fitzgerald (2005), Coates and Vickerman (2008) and Crawford (2013) in a physical education context.”

“Sport and its normative, ability-based bodily ideals and practices (Fitzgerald, 2005) presents a fertile ground for the examination of disability; the logic and structure of disability sport encompasses a range of dividing practices and cultural discourses through which disabled subjectivities are…”

“Neste contexto, questionamentos surgem sobre o significado dos esportes coletivos para alunos com deficiência (BARTON, 1993; FITZGERALD, 2005; GRENIER; COLLINS; WRIGHT, 2014) e a ausência dos esportes paralímpicos no currículo.”

“Similarly, Fitzgerald (2005) explained how ability constructions also shape assumptions about bodies in PE. She found that dominant conceptions of ability are often associated with particular physical characteristics. Through these practices, those judged to have non-achieving bodies will be perceived as ‘different’ a…”

“In this respect, participants valued the opportunity to move their bodies and be physically active in PE (Fitzgerald, 2005, 2007) but wanted more opportunities to do sport outside of school (Stride and Fitzgerald, 2011).”

“Fitzgerald (2005) described traditional conceptualisations of ability still prevailing in school PE, leaving disabled pupils feeling like a ‘spare piece of luggage’ in contexts where the sociocultural ‘physical sporting ideal’ predominates.”

“A su vez, eran capaces de identificar algunas consecuencias educativas al respecto en consonancia con estudios previos (Fitzgerald, 2005; Hay & lisahunter, 2006; Hay & Macdonald, 2010a; Sánchez-Hernández, Martos-García, Soler & Flintoff, 2018).”

“Children and adolescents who have non-conforming bodies, those that tend to be viewed as flawed or unable (Fitzgerald, 2005), may be at risk for developing negative body image (Greguol et al.”

“En línea con las experiencias negativas de otras personas con diversidad funcional en EF (Bredahl, 2013; Coates, 2011; Fitzgerald, 2005; Martos-García y Valencia-Peris, 2016), el caso de Félix no es ninguna excepción.”

“…an ableist mode of thinking and doing which relegates disabled pupils to passive roles in PE under the guise of inclusion because it may unintentionally cast them as, to use Fitzgerald ’ s (2005) term, ‘ a spare piece of luggage ’ , and thus contribute to their marginalisation and subordination.”

“As suggested by Fitzgerald (2005), superficial remedies do not change anything, and critical pedagogies are in debt with students with disabilities (Erevelles, 2000).”

“334) and aim to encourage an understanding of participation away from the familiar and recognised toward diverse and new forms of practice that reflect an equitable and just society in action [60].”

“…theoretical knowledge, and pedagogy (Sato & Hodge, 2012); (c) demonstrate the academic and social experiences of students with disabilities in APE (Fitzgerald, 2005); and (d) take place in diverse environments such as schools educating children with various disabilities (Burden, Hodge, O’Bryant,…”

“Research by Fitzgerald (2005) and Smith (2004) suggested that it is common for some pupils with SEN to be withdrawn from PE (particularly if it was a team game or competitive sport) and, perhaps more notably, from their age-peers, to do physical activities separately if the pupils were unable to…”

“However if children with SEN are unable to participate in PE due to exclusive practice by teachers or peers (Blinde and McCallister, 1998; Goodwin and Watkinson, 2000; Fitzgerald, 2005), they are unable to enjoy these benefits.”

“However, research has indicated that the insights into the experiences of students with disabilities in PE have often originated from external sources rather than directly from the students themselves, thereby missing the crucial element of “lived experience” (Fitzgerald, 2005) .”

“Narrative pedagogy can help to compensate for the lack of knowledge about disability and its limitations leading to social stigmatisation of disabled people, particularly in PE (Fitzgerald, 2005; Rekaa et al., 2019).”

“…has been documented with research illustrating that Black (Blackshear and Culp 2021), Indigenous (Fitzpatrick 2013), young women and girls (Flintoff and Scraton 2006), LGBTQIA+ (Sykes 2011) and differently-abled (Fitzgerald 2005) students feel they do not ‘fit in’ many physical education spaces.”

“…of take part (the individual student actively contributes to the classroom experience) and g ive part (the group of students actively involves the individual student in the context of action and the social structure) as a prerequisite for such an understanding of participation (Fitzgerald 2005).”

“That is, dominant ways of thinking about curriculum, pedagogy and assessment are shaped by and for able-bodied people (see Coates, 2011; Fitzgerald, 2005, 2012).”

“Previous research revealed that parents and teachers influence youths with a physical disability’s participation in physical activity (Li & Chen, 2012), and supportive coaches and teaches who are thoughtful and considerate with positive attitudes are important to meaningful experiences (Fitzgerald, 2005).”

“…(e.g., Azzarito & Solomon, 2005); socioeconomic status (e.g., Quarmby & Dagkas, 2013); urban schools (e.g., Cothran & Ennis, 1999) and (dis)ability (e.g., Fitzgerald, 2005), as well as the intersection of these issues in a globalizing society (e.g., Azzarito, Macdonald, Dagkas, & Fisette, 2017).”

“Fitzgerald (2005) has reported that some boys with disabilities felt ignored and teased during PE. Taub and Greer (2000) have also indicated that children with disabilities in PE are teased, not allowed to participate, and are not picked for teams.”

“…2015), pois suas experiências mostram obstáculos enfrentados pelas barreiras atitudinais de colegas e professores, pela falta de acessibilidade, adaptação em atividades e ausência de diálogo entre estudante e o professor (ALVES; HAEGELE; DUARTE, 2018; CHICON; MENDES; SÁ, 2011; FITZGERALD, 2005).”

“…(Rodríguez & Ferreira, 2010) al considerar que todos somos diferentes y por tanto diversos; (b) el prefijo dis- del segundo término atribuye una negación a la capacidad de estas personas y, por tanto, la percepción de que son inferiores (Asún, 2016; Fitzgerald, 2005; Rodríguez & Ferreira, 2010).”

“This approach has been liberating and has influenced Western legislation [2, 16].”

“These challenges may be reinforced by implicit messages from educators that re fl ect limited expectations or preconceived assumptions about students ’ abilities (Coates & Vickerman, 2008; Fitzgerald, 2005; Haegele & Zhu, 2017; Healy et al., 2013).”

“Previous research in educational settings where physical movement is crucial shows that disabled students often feel isolated, frustrated, and discriminated against by their teachers (Apelmo, 2019; Fitzgerald, 2005; Haegele et al., 2021; Maher et al., 2023; Svendby & Dowling, 2013).”

“Through physical education subjects in schools, all students are actively involved in a variety of physical activity learning, regardless of their ability or background, students have the same opportunity to participate and succeed (Fitzgerald, 2005).”

“Also, sport boosted their motivation and resolve to persevere in their actions and ventures [2, 9, 10, 17, 21, 22].”

“No 106 (52,5) 94 (47,5) 53 (26,8) 53 (26,8) 42 21,2 50 25,3”

“Fortunately, in recent years there has been an increasing interest to accentuate and illuminate pupil’s ‘voices’, because it is considered as essential in the effort to develop an inclusive environment in PE (Fitzgerald, 2005; Fitzgerald, Jobling, & Kirk, 2003; Fitzgerald & Stride, 2012; Goodwin, 2009; Goodwin & Watki…”

“Ein großer Teil der Forschung zu den subjektiven Konstruktionen inklusiven Sportunterrichts durch SmB verweist auf eine herausragendeBedeutungder sozialen Beziehung zu den Sportlehrkräften sowie zu den Peers (Coates & Vickerman, 2008; Fitzgerald, 2005).”

“Fitzgerald (2005) documentó cómo estudiantes con discapacidad pueden experimentar formas tanto simbólicas como materiales de exclusión cuando las prácticas pedagógicas no reconocen distintas formas de participación.”

“…children and adolescents from marginalized groups often encounter disadvantages, fear, and experiences of shame resulting from their perceived ‘otherness’ (Bartsch et al., 2021; Böhlke, 2020; Brink & Block, 2024; Fitzgerald, 2005; Müller & Böhlke, 2023; Ruin et al., 2023; Zimlich & Reuter, 2024).”

“Due to the lack of adaptations, students with disabilities participate less frequently in physical education classes and learn a smaller range of physical activities in comparison to their peers (Fitzgerald, 2005; Sparkes et al., 2019).”

“The concept of “disability" has come to be considered pejorative over time, with the prefix "dis-": the term “diversity”, however, does not suggest people with fewer, but rather different abilities (Fitzgerald, 2005; Rodríguez & Ferreira, 2010).”

“One of the life domains in which persons with mobility impairments experience activity limitations and participation restrictions is physical activity –from physical education at school settings (Coates & Vickerman, 2010; Fitzgerald, 2005; Fitzgerald and Stride, 2012; Hutzler et al., 2002) through leisure time and spo…”

“Inclusion of all pupils with SEN in mainstream PE settings has been the subject of some research which have resulted in a few published studies (Fitzgerald, 2005; Coates and Vickerman, 2008; Coates, 2010).”

“Positive experiences, such as active participation supported by teacher accommodations and supportive teacher-student relationships, may influence the student’s opinion and attitude towards physical education and may help build upon peer relationships in other classes (Fitzgerald, 2005; Haegele & Buckley, 2019; Haegel…”

“These constructions include a sense of difference and inclusion as suggested by Fitzgerald (2005) who highlighted the difficulty of imposing differing beliefs onto children who are less able, creating a perceived limit regarding the children’s achievement.”

“Je m’inspire de Fitzgerald (2005) et Evans (2004) afin de justifier l’usage des parenthèses dans l’utilisation du terme « incapacité » et ainsi contester l’idée que les capacités sont fixes, mesurables et mènent à généraliser quant au potentiel d’un individu.”