Abstract
Many teachers have negative attitudes towards inclusive physical education (PE), leading to the irregular inclusion of students with disabilities (SWD) in PE classes. Research regarding the effectiveness of inclusive teacher training resources on attitudes towards inclusive PE is valuable. Teachers' attention to, and cognitive processing of information may be related to resource effectiveness. Guided by the Elaboration Likelihood Model, this study examined: a) the impact of an informational resource on teachers' attitudes regarding inclusive PE, and b) the association between attention, cognitive processing and attitude change. Teachers (N=50; 70% female) completed The Physical Educators' Attitudes Towards Teaching Individuals with Disabilities-III scale before and after exposure to an inclusive PE teacher training resource. Attention data were collected via eye tracking technology, and cognitive processing was measured using thought listing and message recall tasks. Teachers' attitudes improved from baseline to i) post-information (t(49) = -3.160, p < .05), and ii) two week follow-up (t(41) = -2.043, p < .05). Attention (B=.157, p<.01) was a significant predictor of teachers' attitude change (R2=.630, F(4,42)=16.996, p<.01). Information from an inclusive PE teaching resource was effective in promoting teachers' attitude change towards inclusive PE. In addition, attention held a significant role in predicting teachers' attitude change. These findings suggest that the refinement and development of additional inclusive PE teaching resources to increasingly engage teachers' attention may become a valuable approach for promoting attitude change in teachers. Strategies for engaging teachers' attention to inclusive PE teaching resources require further examination.
