The educational inclusion of students with postural conditions in the Physical Education class

Abstract

Inclusive education aims to respond to student diversity by increasing participation and reducing exclusion in the school environment. The study aimed to characterize the inclusion process in the Physical Education class of first-year students with postural disorders at the Faculty of Health Technology and Nursing in the province of Villa Clara. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using empirical methods such as document analysis, observation, source triangulation, and theoretical and statistical mathematical methods. The study involved six students excluded from the Physical Education practical class due to postural disorders. The study resulted in five females and one male being affected; the average age was 18.2 years, and the predominant condition was scoliosis. No medical prescriptions for abstaining from physical exercise were found. The greatest deficiencies reported by students were found in the "Access and Participation" dimensions; with contradictions regarding interpersonal relationships in the former, and poor perception by respondents of the responsibility and commitment of the Faculty's administrators and teachers to the necessary adaptations and support to ensure participation. It is concluded that the existing gaps in "Access" and "Participation" in the Physical Education classes of the students participating in the study interfere with the inclusive education process in these classes.