Abstract
This Dissertation in Practice surveyed sixteen teachers of public school adaptive physical education (APE) programs across grades 5 through 12 in four counties of southern New Jersey. Previous research on APE teacher perceptions is minimal and literature restricted to southern New Jersey does not currently exist. Questions were organized to collect information on a) educational and work information, b) overall perceptions of APE programs, c) professional and personal growth, and d) advantages and disadvantages encountered during APE experiences. This qualitative study selected an exploratory, grounded theory as the methodology.|This overview of data collection and final reporting of transcribed interviews through the web-based application of Dedoose yielded three main categories: a) school, b) student, and c) teacher-related results. Qualitative data translated into frequencies and percentages revealed 31 sub-category conditions during code application. The highest rates of frequencies occurred in discussions related to a) Love for the Classroom (f = 28), b) Communication (f = 27), c) Student Scheduling (f = 27), d) School Scheduling (f = 23), and e) Networking (f = 22). Ultimately, these perceptions served as the emergent themes. The evidence-based solution included the implementation of a social networking platform in APE settings to assist in serving a dual function: a) to increase transparency during the promotion of classroom activities; and b) to address teacher-reported frustrations of disconnectedness. Implementation, support, and evaluation of a successful social networking program will differ amongst school districts, but recommendations for a successful strategic planning model were discussed.|Keywords: Adaptive physical education, teacher perceptions, social networking