AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES AMONG SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN NSUKKA CENTRAL LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITY
Abstract
This study investigated issues concerning leisure activities among special needs children (SNC). Leisure activities are identified as activities which individuals freely choose to participate in during their spare time because they find them enjoyable. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study. Two research questions and two hypotheses in line with the specific purposes guided the study. Questionnaire titled “Availability and accessibility of leisure activities among special educational needs children” (AALASNC) was developed by the researchers from literature materials reviewed. Two experts from Measurement and Evaluation and Childhood Education units validated the instrument. Data were collected from 120primary school teachers who had special needs children in their classrooms in the area using purposive random sampling technique and were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions. T-test was also used to test the formulated hypotheses. Findings reveal that most leisure activities are lacking in schools and especially among special educational needs pupils. On the basis of the findings, recommendations were made. Among others, it was recommended that government should make leisure activities available and accessible especially for special needs pupils and organize capacity building workshops for teachers on the importance of leisure activities for young people.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Badia, M., Orgaz, M. B. Verdugo, M. A. Ullán, A. & Martinez, M. (2013). "Relationshipsbetween Leisure Participation and Quality of life of People with Developmental Disabilities." Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities 26 (6):533-545.
Beart, S., Hawkins, D., Kroese, B. S., Smithson, P., & Tolosa, I. (2001). Barriers to accessing leisure opportunities for people with learning disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29(4), 133-138.
Bedell, G., Coster, W., Law, M., Liljenquist, K., Kao, Y.-C., Teplicky, R., &Khetani, M. A. (2013). Community participation, supports, and barriers of school-age children with and without disabilities. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 94,315-323.
Chinn, D. (2017). Learning how to be (a) patient: visual analysis of accessible health information leaflets for people with intellectual disabilities. Disability & Society, 32(10), 1485-1509.
Devine, M. A. (2004). ""Being a `Doer ́ Instead of a `Viewer ́: The Role of Inclusive Leisure Contexts in Determining Social Acceptance for People with Disabilities." Journal of Leisure Research, 36 (2):137-159.
Emira, M., &Thompson, D. (2011). In the quest for their trust: The perceptions of families on accessing leisure services for disabled children. Leisure Studies, 30,33-48.
Fitzgerald, H., & Long, J. (2017). Integration or special provision? Sport, Leisure and Social Justice, 126.
Hutzler, Y., & Korsensky, O. (2010). "Motivational correlates of physical activity in persons with an intellectual disability: a systematic literature review " Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 54 (9):767-786.
Kampert, A.L., &Goreczny, A. J.(2007). "Community involvement and socialization among individuals with mental retardation." Research in Developmental Disabilities 28(3), 278-286.
Kavale, K. A., &Mostert, M. P. (2004). Social skills interventions for individuals with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 27(1), 31-43.
King, G., Law, M., King, S., Rosenbaum, P., Kertoy, M. K & Young, N. L. (2003). A conceptual model of factors affecting the recreation and leisure participation of children with disabilities. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 23,63-90.
Lagerros, Y. T., Hsieh, S. F. & Hsieh, C. C. (2004). Physical activity in adolescence and young adulthood and breast cancer risk: a quantitative review, European Journal Cancer
Preview, 13, 5-12.
Majnemer A, Shevell M, Law M, Birnbaum R, Chilingaryan G, Rosenbaum P, and Poulin C. (2008). Participation and enjoyment of leisure activities in school-aged children with cerebral palsy. Developmental medicine and child neurology, 50(10), 751 -758.
Morris, T., McGuire, M., & Walker, B. (2017). Integrating social studies and social skills for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities: A mixed methods study. The Journal of Social Studies Research, 41(4), 253-262.
Muir, K., Goldblatt, B. (2011). Complementing or conflicting human rights conventions? Realizing an inclusive approach to families with a young person with a disability and challenging behaviour. Disability & Society, 26,629-642.
Ortega, F. B, Ruiz, J. R, & Castillo, M. J. (2008). Physical fitness in childhood and adolescence: A powerful marker of health, Int J ObesLond, 32, 1-11.
Rankin, M. (2012). Qualitative research report: Exploring why disabled people and deaf people do and don’t participate in sport. Loughborough: English Federation of Disability Sport.
Solish, A., Perry, A. &Minnes, P.(2010). "Participation of Children with and without Disabilities in Social, Recreational and Leisure Activities." Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities 23 (3):226-236.
United Nations (2006). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. United Nations. Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx on .14/08/2018.
United Nations. (2006). Rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.
Wendelborg, C., &Paulsen, V.(2014). "Inkluderingskolen - inkluderingpåfritida?" InOppvekst med funksjonshemming. Familie, livsløpogoverganger., edited by J.Tøssebro and C: Wendelborg. Oslo: GyldendalAkademisk.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2020 Victor Sunday Ezema, Clara Odozi Ifelunni, Emmanuel Chidobe Okenyi, Paulinus Ike Ogara
ISSN (PRINT): 2734 - 2522
ISSN (ONLINE): 2734 - 2514
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.