Adapted Volleyball, Social Belonging, and Inclusion: Experiences of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
Öz
Self-Determination Theory posits that satisfying the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness is critical to individuals' learning and participation. In inclusive education, supporting these needs enables students not only to participate but also to develop a sense of belonging and meaningful attachment to the learning environment. This study examines how participation of students with intellectual disabilities in adapted sports activities in Türkiye's inclusive education context supports the construction of social connectedness, belonging, and interaction skills through autonomy, competence, and relatedness. An interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was used. Participants were ten individuals aged 18–40 with intellectual disabilities at varying levels of functioning and ten typically developing volunteers. Data were collected through audio recordings, semi-structured interviews, and reflective notes. Thematic analysis yielded four themes: (a) social bonds and experiences of reciprocal interaction, (b) construction of belonging and group adaptation, (c) strengthening social cohesion through communication, and (d) volunteers' emotional experiences and perceptions of inclusion. Adapted sports activities strengthen the social belonging and interaction of students with intellectual disabilities. This effect varies with individual support needs; genuine participation depends not on an adapted sports activity being offered, but on students feeling they belong and being supported in learning.
Anahtar Kelimeler
- Social belonging
- Inclusive education
- Adapted sport
- Self-Determination Theory
- intellectual disability
Destekleyen Kurum
Proje Numarası
Etik Beyan
Teşekkür
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Çoklu Engelli Eğitimi, Kapsayıcı Eğitim
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Gamze Beyazoğlu
*
0000-0002-2902-2313
Türkiye
Beyzanur Kanmaz
Bu kişi benim
0009-0007-3257-5764
Türkiye
Yayımlanma Tarihi
30 Eylül 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
19 Ocak 2026
Kabul Tarihi
28 Eylül 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 27 Sayı: 3
