Effect of the Physical Education and Sport Classes on the Physical Capacity of Children with Special Educational Needs

Oct 15, 2026

The study determines the impact of physical education and sports lessons on the physical capacity of children with special educational needs and outlines key directions for secondary school educational process. A total of 67 students from 22 schools in Kars, Turkey participated, split into control (normal development) and experimental groups (special educational needs). Height, weight, BMI, strength of upper limbs, and a physical capacity test battery were used, and questionnaires were collected from physical education teachers regarding inclusive education. Results compared groups and evaluated changes across multiple fitness measures, including sprinting, dynamometry, ball throwing, jumping, core strength, running endurance, and trunk inclination. Findings suggest increased activity and new models are needed to develop physical capacity in this population, while limitations, recommendations for future research, and practical implications are discussed.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Effect of the Physical Education and Sport Classes on the Physical Capacity of Children with Special Educational Needs Pervin TOPTAŞ DEMİRCİ1 Mersin University Rositza TZAROVA2 National Sports Academy, Bulgaria Abstract In this study was to determine the impact of physical education and sports lesson on the physical capacity of children with special eğitime needs and on this basis to outline the main directions for of educational process in secondary schools. Totally, 67 students region Kars in the of Turkey from 22 secondary education school participated in this study. They divided into groups according to their gender and health status; children with normal physical and mental development (24 boys, 18 girls; control group) and children with special education needs (15 boys, 10 girls; experimental group) . Children's height, weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) were used a standard methodology, a manual dynamometer to measure the strength of the upper limb and a test battery to determine their physical capacity. Regarding inclusive education, questionnaires were collected from physical education teachers. Results were compared with the total sample and between the two target groups. According to the findings of the research, when the change in physical capacity characteristics of boys and girls with and without special education needs is examined; Sprint 20 m, Hand Dynamometer-appropriate upper limb, Dynamometry - Inappropriate upper limb, Throwing a thick ball, Jumping to length, Crunches, 400 m running, Depth of inclination, after the experiment; although it has different effects on the physical capacities of children with cognitive, hearing and vision problems, it has not statistically significant compared to the groups In order to develop the physical capacity of children with special educational needs, physical education and sports lesson activities should be increased, and new models should be developed. Limitations, suggestions for future research and implications for practice are discussed. Keywords: Physical Education, Physical Capacity, Children, Special Educational, Disability DOI: 10.29329/epasr.2020.334.18 1Dr., Erdemli Vocational School, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey, ORCID: 0000-0002-3745-8440 [Correspondence](Correspondence: pervindemirci36@hotmail.com)[: pervindemirci36@hotmail.com](Correspondence: pervindemirci36@hotmail.com) 2 Professor Dr., Faculty of Sports, National Sports Academy V. Levski, Sofia, Bulgaria, ORCID: 0000-0001-5480-6649, Email: [tzarova39@abv.bg](tzarova39@abv.bg) Introduction Physical activity (PA) is a fundamental component of overall well being and most children’s experience of this is through Physical Education (PE) classes in school (Cheung, 2019; O’Connor and McNabb, 2020; Ross et al., 2016) . The universal popularity of sport makes it an ideal transformative tool for fostering participation through equal access to activities, inside and outside the school system (UN, 2006) . Yet, research shows that young people with special educational needsand (SEN) disabilities in mainstream schools continue to experience fewer participatory sporting options than their pers. Students with disabilities have more time to spend with their peers , which also has positive effects on the regular students as they gain some ideas regarding these people, who are an inseparable part of society (Bavlı et al., 2020; Demirci et al., 2018; WHO, 2018; McCoy et al., 2016; Adair et al., 2015) . Health-related issues, adapted physical activity, social rehabilitation and integration of people with disabilities are becoming more and more relevant and engage an increasing contingent of people (WHO, 2017; Bertills et al., 2019) . Inclusive education is based on the fundamental right of all learners to quality education that meets their basic learning needs, encourages their personal development to the fullest extent, and considers the diversity of backgrounds and abilities to be a learning

FAQs

What was the main purpose of the study?

To determine how physical education and sports lessons affect the physical capacity of children with special educational needs, and to outline directions for secondary school educational processes.

How were participants grouped in the research?

The 67 students were divided by gender and health status into a control group with normal physical and mental development and an experimental group with special educational needs.

Which physical capacity measures were used?

The study used height, weight, BMI, a manual dynamometer for upper-limb strength, and a test battery to assess physical capacity, alongside teacher questionnaires on inclusive education.

Oct 15, 2026

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