«Why do I have to continue?»: The problem of motor learning for students with disabilities in an electronic format

Abstract

Purpose. The adaptability of the format of teaching people with disabilities is key to an effective educational process in the field of physical education and sport. The article highlights the results of a study on the effectiveness of e-learning for students with disabilities who are training to become sports coaches. The aim was to determine the effectiveness of motor learning for students with disabilities in an electronic format.

Material & Methods. In a quasi-experimental intervention (lasting 12 weeks), the total number of participants who successfully completed the training was 78 (without sex stratification) aged 18.96±0.90 years, from which four specific groups were formed (two intervention groups and two control groups): EG1 (n=6) – student athletes with disabilities (sensorineural hearing impairment); EG2 (n=6) – students with disabilities (orthopedic or neurological disorders of the musculoskeletal system, including the use of orthoses or wheelchairs); CG1 (n=36) – student athletes without health limitations; CG2 (n=30) – students in the main health group. A critical review of the literature was conducted, followed by the development of a model of inclusive athletics training in electronic format, based on the use of social cognitive and determination theories. Psychodiagnostics of motivation and engagement in educational activities were carried out. Self-assessment of cognitive and physical load was carried out. Motor testing was carried out using simplified versions of running, jumping and throwing exercises. The amount of load was assessed using RPE. The physiological response of the body to physical training loads was assessed using freely dosed load tests with the calculation of VO2max.

Results. A significant increase in intrinsic motivation, engagement and integration into the online community was observed in participants in EG1 and EG2 during the intervention period, accompanied by the maintenance of high scores six weeks after the end of the intervention. In EG1, there was an improvement in external motivation and a decrease in amotivation directly during the intervention, but these parameters did not differ notably from the baseline six weeks after the end of the programme. Cognitive load and RPE scores in the intervention groups remained stable. The physical condition of participants in EG1 and EG2, in particular the estimated VO₂max and motor test results, improved considerably and remained stable after the end of the active phase of the study, although less pronounced stability of results was observed in EG2. Participants in CG1 and CG2 showed significant changes in all measured parameters, with the exception of motivation, which remained relatively stable during the study period.

Conclusions. The study confirmed the effectiveness of implementing an inclusive e-learning model (using athletics as an example) for students with disabilities. It was found that digital support for autonomy, competence, and social connectedness may allow physical barriers to be levelled and significantly increases intrinsic motivation through the construction of individual educational trajectories. Prospects for further research are related to the implementation of scales for monitoring achievements and studying the professional identity of future coaches in an inclusive digital space.