Bibliometric analysis of studies on attitudes towards disability and inclusion in physical education teachers

Abstract

The Inclusive Education model is defined as a teaching model that advocates equal opportunities for all students, especially those with disabilities or specific requirements. The significance of the teacher's attitude toward disability and inclusion is essential in the Inclusive Education process, requiring a comprehensive and up-to-date meta-analytical study that offers a panoramic view to the scientific and educational communities. This can be achieved through a bibliometric approach that analyzes data and metadata from existing specialized articles. This article provides an empirical overview of studies on attitudes toward disability and inclusion in physical education teachers. The extracted articles were examined using a bibliometric approach, leveraging data from 161 records stored in the Web of Science database from 1995 to September 2023, while applying traditional bibliometric principles and employing VOSviewer for data and metadata processing. Among the results, these articles highlight an exponential increase in scientific production over the last two decades, with a concentration in only 17 specific journals. The dominance of the USA and Spain within co-authorship networks of global relevance is evident, along with thematic and temporal distinctions within the concepts under examination. This current bibliometric analysis underscores the prevailing trend in research regarding inclusion, primarily through the development of interventions and educational programs addressing attitudes toward disability. As one of the primary means of enhancing attitudes toward individuals with disabilities in the field of education, specific training programs and the promotion of activities in which participants can experience and learn about disability hold significant importance.