Evaluation of Student-Teachers Pedagogical Preparation for Inclusive Physical Education Practical Teaching in Ghana: Lecturers Perspective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate lecturers’ opinions about the university physical education student-teachers’ pedagogical preparation for inclusive practical teaching. 15 lecturers who were purposively selected from two universities in Ghana formed the sample size. A researcher designed closed ended questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics of means and standard deviations with results presented in tables and graphs. The study’s findings revealed a concerning trend in the pedagogical preparation of student-teachers for inclusive Physical Education (PE) in Ghanaian Universities. A significant proportion of practical course lecturers (46.7%) believed that student-teachers are not adequately equipped to adapt equipment for inclusive PE, suggesting a gap in the preparatory programme in the universities. Furthermore, majority of the practical course lecturers (53.3%) rarely provided student-teachers with alternative instructional strategies and adaptation skills for inclusive practical PE. This oversight is compounded by the fact that most lecturers (73.3%) felt that the pedagogy they provide was insufficient for student-teachers to successfully include Students with Disabilities (SWDs) in their practical PE lessons. The study recommends that critical measures should be taken by the two universities to revamp their training programs to ensure student-teachers are well prepared to adapt equipment and instructional strategies for inclusive PE teaching.