Factors influencing attitudes toward physical education among pupils with disabilities in primary education: gender differences

Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify the factors influencing attitudes toward physical education (PE) among pupils with disabilities in primary education and to analyze gender differences. The research sample consisted of 282 pupils with disabilities (172 boys and 110 girls; mean age 9.00 ± 1.41 years) attending mainstream and special primary schools for children with disabilities in Slovakia. Data were collected using a self-constructed questionnaire based on a modified version of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), focusing on attitudes toward PE and three factors influencing these attitudes: teacher, peers, and pupils personality. The results revealed no statistically significant differences in the overall attitude scores toward PE between boys and girls. However, girls evaluated the teacher factor significantly more positively than boys (U = 8111; p = 0.041), particularly regarding the selection of activities, support, and feedback provided by the teacher. In contrast, boys evaluated the personality factor significantly more positively than girls (U = 7365; p = 0.002), especially in areas related to fear of failure, fear of injury, and perception of the learning environment. Correlation analysis confirmed positive relationships between all examined factors and attitudes toward PE. The strongest relationship was found for the personality factor in both boys (rs = 0.365; p = 0.001) and girls (rs = 0.322; p = 0.001). The findings highlight the importance of individual personality characteristics in shaping the attitudes of pupils with disabilities toward PE and emphasize the need to support positive self-perception and motivation within the educational process.