Inclusion in school: physical education teachers’ perceptions of students with impairments

Objectives Using data from sociological research conducted among teachers of Polish schools in 2023, the authors investigated the attitudes of teachers towards students with impairments (SWI) participating in the program School Sports Club (SKS). Material and methods The analyses were based on research conducted in 2023 by the Department of Social Sciences at the Institute of Sport-National Research Institute (IS-PIB) among students and teachers of Polish schools. The presented results are part of a sociological study that included a total of 5,330 respondents, comprising 2,294 PE teachers and 3,036 students, and reflect the opinions of teachers towards students with impairments. Results The results indicated that most teachers do not have direct contact with SWI, which affects their opinions and lack of readiness to work with such students. Only 15% of teachers have experience working with impaired students, and 66% express openness to such cooperation, but often with certain conditions. It was found that teachers with longer work experience and higher qualifications are not more open to working with SWI. Teachers need appropriate training and continuous professional development to effectively include SWI in sports activities. Conclusions It seems necessary to pay attention to the interdisciplinary nature of education so that PE teachers have a broader view of their students’ needs. Practitioners with broad perspectives on conducting physical activity classes were more likely to use individualized criteria and facilitate integration than those who demonstrated narrow perspectives, such as strictly adhering to the curriculum and expected normative performance.