Paralympic Awareness of Sports Science Students: Example of TRB1 Region

Abstract

Students studying in the field of sports sciences, upon graduation, serve as professionals in various sectors of our country's sports industry. The awareness levels of sports professionals regarding the Paralympic Games, the largest sports event for disabled individuals worldwide, could be an important factor affecting the sports lives of disabled individuals. Therefore, the problem of our study is formed by the perception levels of sports science students, who will become sports professionals in the future, about the Paralympic Games. To achieve this aim, the Attitude Scale Towards Individuals with Special Needs and the Paralympic Sports Awareness Scale were administered to undergraduate sports science students in the TRB1 region cities (Bingöl, Elazığ, Malatya, and Tunceli) designated by the Turkish Statistical Institute. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and Eviews Programs with Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. The analysis results revealed significant differences both in the total scale and sub-dimensions concerning the perceptions of sports science students about Paralympic awareness in terms of demographic questions and their thoughts about disabled individuals. According to the results, while the Paralympic Interests of females significantly differ, departments where students major in Physical Education and Sports Education, and the universities attended by them, have a more positive impact in terms of variables. Furthermore, sports science students who have received courses related to disabled individuals, have experience working with them, or intend to work with disabled individuals also significantly differ in favor of Paralympic awareness.