Attitude change of physical education majors was studied in relation to number of weeks in an introductory adapted physical education (APE) course and type of practicum location (on- or off-campus). Data were collected using the Physical Educators’ Attitude Toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities-III (PEATID-III) (Rizzo, 1993b) and a practicum information questionnaire (PIQ). Participants completing the PEATID-III during Weeks 1, 10, and 15 of their course were 292 males and 182 females in 22 institutions of higher education (IHEs) representing 17 states. Participants completing the PIQ were 17 faculty members. A nonequivalent comparison group, pretest-posttest experimental design was used with factorial ANOVA, post-hoc measures, ANCOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Findings indicated that off- and on-campus practicum both promoted positive attitude change between Weeks 1 and 10 and Weeks 1 and 15. On-campus practicum experiences improved attitudes significantly more than off-campus ones.

This study examined the attitudes of future physical educators toward teaching students with disabilities. Physical educators and other enrolled students (n = 704) from 40 colleges and universities across 21 states nationwide, were participants. The Physical Educators' Attitudes Toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities-III (Rizzo, 1993) instrument was used for data collection. Attitude differences were examined as a function of participants' gender, ethnic status, course work preparation, academic major, and experience teaching individuals with disabilities. Also, examined were participants' perceived comfort levels toward teaching students with sensory and physical disabilities. GLM Factorial analysis of variance procedures revealed that females exhibited significantly higher attitude scores than males toward teaching students with disabilities. In addition, participants with experience teaching individuals with disabilities exhibited higher attitude scores than those with no such experiences. Moreover, female participants with teaching experiences exhibited significantly higher attitude scores than females and males with no such experiences, and males with experience teaching individuals with disabilities. Further analyses by gender indicated that females' perceived comfort level was significantly higher, that is, with less ambivalence, than for males toward teaching students with physical disabilities. No gender difference was found toward teaching pupils with sensory impairments. Participants' ethnic status, academic major, and course work preparation were onsignificant factors with respect to overall attitude scores toward teaching students with disabilities. In contrast, however, course work preparation was found significant regarding participants' perceived comfort level teaching students with sensory and physical disabilities.

This paper focuses on competency guidelines related to adapted physical education Ph.D. professional preparation in the United States with an emphasis on educational models and different orientations applicable to doctoral professional preparation. Key literature and related information are provided on teacher reform, standards, and competencies, with an emphasis on adapted physical education. The method of development, refinement, validation, and endorsement of the doctoral competencies over the course of this 6-year project precedes the listing of the final 79 competencies across two generic areas (adapted physical educator, researcher) and four other competency areas (administrator, movement scientist, advocate, pedagogue). The paper concludes with a discussion of quality control, doctoral program commonality and diversity, future competency guideline refinement efforts, and postgraduation professional development.

The purpose of this study was to determine the variables related to the successful least restrictive placement of students with disabilities into physical education classes. Subjects were 470 school building representatives and 62 adapted physical education professors throughout the nation. Confidence interval estimates (95%) of school building data correlated highest on relative importance with university census data on 8 of 37 total variables: motor ability test scores, developmental scale scores, reaching individualized education program instructional objectives, special education teacher recommendation, regular physical educator recommendation, activity offerings, classroom physical accessibility, and safety considerations. These represent those variables that should be used in some "best practices" combination by school personnel in making decisions regarding relevant students' class placement within physical education least restrictive environment alternatives. In addition, staff recommendation category variables were considered more important than test score, student related, class related, and administrative category variables.