Motivating Students with Disability through Adapted PE

Motivating Students with Disability through Adapted PE
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Motivation is an important element in the education of students with disability. In an article that Robert Weber published in the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, teachers of disabled students have the task of increasing their motivation so that they can learn the skills easily (2013). Disabled students may have difficulties that make them slow-learners. They may also have histories of frustrations, factors that undermine their ability to learn. It is the reason teachers must use models of motivation through adapted physical education (Weber, 2002). Weber discusses that it is important for teachers to consider the variables and procedures for implementing adapted PE. Weber (2013) proposes task variation as the variable that can enhance the motivation of students with disabilities. Task variation is beneficial for motivating students with disabilities because it is widely applicable to a variety of circumstances that require motivation of learners with disabilities.
Critically considering the variable of task variation from Weber’s perspective, it is suitable because it gives the teacher the ability to develop the most effective strategies for achieving motivation. From the class lectures, disabled learners are people who require special attention because they do not learn at the same rate as able learners. Learners with disabilities have special needs because they may not concentrate on the same task for a long span of time like able learners. Consequently, Weber (2013) proposes the task variation procedure, arguing that in adapted PE, the procedure is good because it enhances the ability of the learners to remain active during physical education. Also, Weber encourages teachers to consider the consequences of their variables on the students when they use the variables to increase the students’ rate of learning and motivation (2013, p.85).
It is important for learners to complete the tasks in adapted physical education. When they complete the tasks, it is possible for the teachers to achieve the objectives of physical education in the learners. However, students with disabilities are challenged to complete the tasks. It is the reason Weber (2013) encourages teachers to device the strategies of motivating such students. According to the task variation model that Weber proposes, teachers should develop the reward systems, for example, giving the learners tokens of appreciation for their attempts or taking short breaks during learning.
In the view of the student, the important aspect of task variation, from Weber’s discussions, is that it enables the teacher to select the effective tasks that he uses during the physical education. Since adapted physical education considers the needs and disabilities of the special needs students or learners with disabilities, the teacher considers the capability of the students to perform the tasks. The teacher also considers the arrangement of the tasks in such a way that the students remain motivated to perform them until their completion. Another important thing is that the teacher devices the strategies that will assist in motivating the students so that they remain actively attracted to the tasks (Weber, 2002). Weber states that, “The selection and scheduling of activities (in task variation) during the lesson has been shown to affect motivation and learning of many disabled students,” (2013, p.86).
Explaining the essence of task variation, Weber (2013) describes it as a process where the teacher selects and arranges the tasks that the students have mastered intermittently with those that they have not mastered. Such arrangement is crucial to the motivation of the student because the mastered tasks encourage the learners to master the tasks that they have not yet learned successfully (Weber, 2013).
In summary, task variation is an important procedure that helps teachers to motivate students of physical education who are disabled. Disabled students do not learn physical education the same way able students learn it. Their disabilities may affect their concentration spans. Consequently, the PE teacher should mix different tasks as a way of motivating learning. The students should not perform one task for long because it affects their concentration. Motivation assists in ensuring the students complete the tasks fast and master them appropriately. Reward systems are good for motivating learners with disabilities, and teacher should use the systems to encourage learning in adapted physical education.

References
Weber, R.C. (February 25, 2013). Motivating and Teaching Disabled Students: Using Task
Variation in Adapted PE. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Vol. 60(2), pp.85-87. DOI: 10.1080/07303084.1989.10603956