Attitudes of Secondary School Students toward the Inclusion of Peers with Borderline Intelligence

Prior and After the Application of a Recreation Program

Georgia Magouritsa, Dimitrios Kokaridas & Υiannis Theodorakis

Department of Physical Education & Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Hellas

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to compare the attitudes of students without disabilities regarding the inclusion of students with borderline intelligence in their class during a recreation activity and to examine their opinions concerning the adaptations of recreation activity required for the successful participation of students with mild learning difficulties. The sample consisted of 79 secondary school students (43 boys and 36 girls) separated in two groups (experimental and control). The research included a pre-intervention phase for the familiarization of five students with borderline intelligence in softball activity that represented the main activity of the research. During the intervention phase, the students of the experimental group and their colleagues with disabilities participated together in softball with all the necessary adaptations. The students of the control group didn’t participate in the activity and generally they did not come in contact with the students with disabilities. Prior and after the recreation activity, the two groups (control and experiment) completed the Questionnaire of Planned Behavior (Theodorakis et al., 1995) that measures the variables of attitude, intention, perceived behavioural control, moral obligation, important others, information and choice. In addition, the experimental group completed a second questionnaire (Block & Malloy, 1995) in order to investigate further adaptations of the activity required according to the perception of students. Results revealed gender and experience of participants as the main factors contributing to the creation of differences on students’ perceptions. The application of the intervention program improved the attitude of students of the experimental group as compared to the control group individuals for the particular factor.

Key words: inclusion, secondary school students, borderline intelligence, recreation