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Inclusive education is a teaching strategy that involves planning, curriculum

changing, and breaking content into building steps which is seen by teachers as timeconsuming and complex. Within the educational sector, recently many documents
have been amended to implement anti-discrimination acts to provide a whole school
approach to support students learning and high quality education for all. Pearce, et
al(2009), discusses a research conducted on leaders perspectives on inclusive
education in secondary schools within Australia. Conceptual factors and domains of
inclusive education are explored from interpretations of the leaders view and how it
can include both inside and outside factors to provide optimal resources for
inclusivity. The recommendation and discussions within this article are then linked to
a lesson activity within a key learning area of PDHPE. To consider revising a lesson
activity, connecting back to Pearce, et al (2009) article suggestions allows appropriate
modifications to the lesson to accommodate an inclusive program that can therefore
now be implemented with supporting evidence.

Inclusive learning in Australian legislation has increased over the last fifteen years
within the educational policy, to allow students with disabilities be included in
mainstream classrooms (Pearce, et al, 2009). Inclusive education is allowing all
children regardless of their abilities to be involved in classroom activities and
discussions. Legal and educational documents have been designed with the
Commonwealth legislation, the Disability Act 1992 that gives students the right to
enroll in schools to avoid subjectivity into a special needs curriculum
(Commonwealth of Australia, 1992). Teachers have now been given a challenge in
learning new behaviourist pedagogy to be skilled in application and interpretation of a

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variety of assessments and testing methods for all students within their classrooms.
Inclusion within classrooms requires additional time for teachers to cater for in
developing new skills, plan collaboratively and differentiate the curriculum to meet all
needs. Pearce., et al, (2009) shows through research studies that inclusive teachers
need breath and depth of pedagogical knowledge and the capacity to individualise
teaching but also manage a diverse classroom.

Inclusive is necessary for all learning areas in how teachers accommodate the syllabus
to suit all students needs. The key learning area (KLA) Personal Development, Health
and Physical Education (PDHPE) is dependent on exploring health and wellbeing of
the students but is also significant for cognitive, social, emotional, physical
development (Board of Studies NSW, 2003). Within the PDHPE syllabus inclusivity
is included with understanding inequities and why it is important to promote
inclusiveness and build supportive communities. Developing physical education
activities, inclusivity for all is a must; all students should be provided with the
opportunity to be included to develop skills and understanding, therefore is the
teachers responsibility to design activities that enhance opportunities in the lesson for
all differentiated needs.

In relation to Pearce, et al (2009), study suggests how the Australian educational

leaders need skills, attributes and knowledge in secondary schools to comply with
legislations and the nature of secondary population. A number of suggestions and
models are mentioned in this paper that are complex and creative in what leaders see
the characteristics of inclusive teaching involves, with the main attribute being
identified as empathy and positive attitude as the key to inspire inclusive attributes.

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Research that was cited involves government and legislations acts on disability, the
use of Salamanca statement on inclusive schools in the beginning of the paper to then
move onto statements made by leaders in linear with Schulmans (1986) domains of
knowledge to structure the data findings.

Pearce, et al (2009), conducted a qualitative method research that was semi-structured

interviews with either face to face or telephone with participants who lived in a
distance. The sample was selected randomly from all Australian states and school
sectors to fit the specific criteria of being regarded as a leader in their field. To
represent the data, simple coding was conducted by data bearing the same codes. The
coding was conducted into the geographic location, educational sector, gender, current
role, specialist role and highest qualifications. After coding is processed, examination
and data conclusion is interpreted (Ullman, 2015). This interpretation of data
illustrates the outcomes of the conclusion and findings.

Throughout this study participation involvement was through interviews and the
individual opinions and experiences the leaders brought across. Allowing teachers
who are expertise in this field with inclusive teaching explores the comparisons of
what is believed should be happening in inclusive schools to what is happening. The
most effective consideration for new teaching styles is linking new learning to
previous knowledge and explaining the relevance to students lives through scaffolding
(Pearce, et al, 2009).

The viewpoint of the leaders uses a representation of Etic perspective. This

perspective allows researchers to maintain their own viewpoint of the phenomenon

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and use their findings from the interviews to make conceptual and theoretical sense.
Pearce, et al (2009), summaries important sentences from the conducted interviews
with comparing the thoughts from other leaders and also to theoretical concepts.
Breaking down interview segments and using multiple responses reflects grounded
theory approach that provides the readers multiple views on ways to incorporate
inclusive education (Pearce, et al, 2009). There is no one concrete decision discussed
within this study, however it provided themes that students from differentiated
backgrounds need to be accepted in mainstream classes and teachers have the
responsibility with the help from adequate resources to provide skills and knowledge
to the students but also develop their own knowledge on inclusivity education.

Developing an inclusive education, teachers need to adapt to new pedagogy skills of

breaking tasks into steps and establish subject related goals. Teachers become an
interpreter and deliverer while understanding their learners and developing a tool of
trade for their students needs (Shulman, 1986).

The discussion within the paper outlines the limitations of the findings and data
collection. Pearce, et al (2009), illustrates that even though the sample of leaders in
inclusive education was nation-wide, the sample of teaches was restricted to Western
Australia compared to other states. Majority of the data collection was significant in
one category and very low in the other fields therefore demonstrates an understanding
for the majority and eliminates the equity for other states due to the low responses
from the individuals.

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For this study to go further in prevalence for todays society, using mixed methods
would be needed to determine if the views discussed within interpretational analysis
are representative in secondary classroom across all states and territories. Knowing a
variety of skills is deemed for inclusive education however the literature suggests that
factors outside the teachers control is how teachers will fit the inclusive education
profile. Additionally, research in this subject can be further explored by concluding of
who has more power and control in implementing inclusive education to secondary
schools and providing the adequate resources needed for staff, parents and the
community.

The recommendations from Pearce, et al (2009) study suggest that classroom teachers
may fit the profile for implementing inclusive education given the reality of the
classroom environment. Ensuring teachers have adequate training, manageable class
size and collaborative planning is recommended for effective inclusivity within
mainstream classes. A personal recommendation to increase quality is to include
observations in the study of students in classrooms and view the engagement,
participation levels within. Analysing activities developed by teachers through active
participation from the students to activities that are disengaging provides a reflection
on the teaching program and the teachers knowledge of their students needs.
Observations allow participants to interact within a natural setting they are
comfortable in and provides the researcher with further understanding of the
phenomenon (Ullman, 2015).

Overall this research, provided information to inform parents, teachers and researcher
who can then examine a particular content within the study to find similarities and

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differences. This study would ideally be useful for Western Australian secondary
schools however provides limited detail and analysis to other states and territories due
to the small sample size conducted. Increasing the amount of leaders interviewed by
collecting data across all sates evenly would have been effective in demonstrating
similarities and differences across inclusive secondary schools in Australia.

CHOSEN ACTIVITY

The chosen activity from the NSW Department of Education and Communities
(2012), curriculum for PDHPE lesson is formulated to get students physically activity
and then focus on development of skills. Students are in groups of 4, with groups
either side of the stumps focusing on targeting and throwing. Groups are in lines
behind each other and students wait their turns. This lesson demonstrated an
educational issue of inclusive education. By linking this issue to Pearce, et al (2009),
study it would predict students would be highly un-motivated to participate, due to
waiting to play therefore limits intrinsic motivation to participate.

In using this lesson plan on throwing and target skills I would based revision on
increasing participation level to reduce waiting time and increase opportunities for

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students to reach requirements of being physically active. This revision will also
accommodate for all physical, intellectual, social and emotional conditions by
providing resources that accommodate for all needs that can be individually selected
by the students decisions. Planning is necessary in knowing students needs in the
class before grouping students in pairs or groups. This relates to the study article
conducted by Pearce, et al (2009), suggesting from a leader that teachers priority was
targeting skills that provided opportunities for students to learn and changing the
learning environment to get learning done by drawing upon all resources that is
needed. The main outcomes are still achieved in the revised lesson activity however
incorporate all students moving and being involved to reduce distraction, boredom
and increase motivation receptors.

According to the original activity knock em down that was time wasting and
individual participation the revised activity has additional stations to allow group
interaction, physical movement and within an efficient time schedule to increase
chances of learning new skills. This change shows how a teacher can modify the
curriculum activity, however still meet the needs of the syllabus as well as suiting the
needs of the child (Van Kraayenoord, 2007). Allowing students to work in pairs but
also complete the activities in groups provides opportunities for students to build
relationships and acceptance of different students abilities. A syllabus outcome for
PDHPE is providing factors that contribute to a positive, inclusive and satisfying
relationship (Board of Studies, 2003). This outcome is represented in Pearce, et al
(2009) final attributions of having empathy, respect, and providing opportunities for

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success to build confidence. The modified activity allows multiple learning discovers
and accommodates for all needs, depending on the ability of the students the activity
can easily be adjusted to ensure knowledge is continually being developed and
challenged.

As you can view in the diagram below, the activities are in stations to allow students
to develop new skills or increase practice by providing learning opportunities to
existing knowledge. All stations have no more than two students within their pairs at
each; therefore there is no time wasting and exclusions of students when moving to
new activity. Both activities have different pedagogical content knowledge with either
focusing on throwing or targeting skills. Pearce., et al (2009), finds that inclusive
teachers establish their subject related goals and break the skills into steps to provide
a range of strategies to accomplish the goals. When conducting this lesson, if it was
seen to difficult the teacher can bring the skills back to basics before moving forward
again. An informal assessment can be made through judgments of how successfully
students hit the stumps and the distance covered when throwing.

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Analyzing a research article on inclusion in secondary schools then applying to a

chosen activity in PDHPE, allows comparisons and justifications as to why as a
teacher you are planning a lesson in this particular way. Inclusivity is not only
applicable in PDHPE, but can be incorporated in all KLA subjects when teaching a
mainstream class that should accommodate for all diverse students needs and abilities.
Inclusive education is broad and by teachers knowing the content will provide
students an appropriate strategy to accept the rights of all and accommodate for all
students within the educational sector. Teaching is about individualizing learning from
syllabus content to the whole child and the ability to support and improve upon
knowledge (Pearce, et al, 2009). Inclusive teaching can be challenging and time
consuming at times for all teaching areas, however with the right training and
resources it will benefit the acknowledgement, acceptance and respect for all people.

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REFERENCES
Board of studies NSW. (2003). Personal Development, Health and Physical
Education Years 7-10, Syllabus. Retrieved from
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_sc/pdf_doc/pdhpe-7-10syllabus.pdf
Commonwealth of Australia. (1992). Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Canberra,
ACT: Australian Government Printing Service.
NSW Department of Education and Communities. (2012). Get into the game;
modified cricket. Retrieved from
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/pdhpe/assets/pdf/
sample%20units/s2_mod_cricket.pdf
Pearce, M., Gray, J., & Campbell-Evans, G. (2009). The inclusive secondary teacher:
the leaders perspective. Australian Journal of Teacher Education,34(6), 101118. doi: 1014221/ajte.2009v34n6.7
Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching.
Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14.
Ullman, J. (Comp.). (2015). Applying educational research: How to read, do, and use
research to solve problems of practice (Custom ed.). (pp. 147-173). Sydney,
Australia: Pearson.
Van Kraayenoord, C.,E. (2007). School and classroom practices in inclusive education
in australia. Childhood Education, 83(6), 390-394. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/education/docview/210389911
/BFB7EDBB8823417EPQ/1?accountid=36155

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