INCLUSION-ORIENTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES OF CALIFORNIA PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS WORKING WITH ENGLISH LEARNERS

Abstract

In contemporary multilingual educational settings, physical education plays an important role not only in promoting health but also in fostering social inclusion and participation among students with diverse linguistic backgrounds. The growing number of students who are learning English as an additional language highlights the need to examine inclusive instructional practices that ensure accessibility, understanding, and safety in physical education classes. The aim is to identify and characterise instructional strategies, communication approaches, and organisational practices used by physical education teachers in multilingual school environments in the state of California to support participation, comprehension, and social integration of students who are English language learners. Materials and methods. The study employed a descriptive survey design. A total of 71 physical education teachers from different regions of California participated in the study. Data were collected using a structured author-developed questionnaire consisting of 24 items aimed at examining the frequency of instructional strategies, communication practices, and cooperative learning approaches used with English language learners. The data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods. The results. The findings indicate a predominant use of multimodal and visually oriented instructional strategies, particularly systematic demonstrations of motor skills and the use of visual aids. Teachers also frequently reported simplifying verbal instructions and relying on non-verbal communication. Pairing English language learners with English-proficient peers and implementing cooperative learning strategies focused on social interaction and peer support were common practices across the sample. The results demonstrate that inclusive physical education practices in multilingual educational settings in California are largely aligned with contemporary theoretical models of inclusive and cooperative education. At the same time, the findings highlight the need for further methodological support and targeted professional development for physical education teachers working in linguistically diverse contexts.