Sport Participation and Perceptions of Disability: A Metaphor-Based Comparative Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine pre-service teachers’ metaphorical perceptions of the concept of disability in relation to their regular participation in sporting activities. The research adopted a phenomenological design within the framework of a qualitative research approach. The study group consisted of 109 volunteer pre-service teachers enrolled at the Faculty of Sports Sciences and the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design at İnönü University. Data were collected by asking participants to complete the statement “Disability is like … to me; because …” and were analysed using content analysis. The frequency and percentage distributions of the metaphors were calculated using SPSS 25. The findings revealed that participants produced 26 different metaphors, which were classified into eight conceptual categories. The category with the highest frequency was Purity and Attribution of Value; this was followed, in order, by Inadequacy and Restriction, Struggle and Resilience, Uniqueness and Awareness, Social and Emotional Approach, Dependence and Vulnerability, Uncertainty and Fear and Acceptance and Adaptation. The most frequently used metaphors were Innocence, Purity, Cleanliness and Restriction. Teacher trainees who exercised regularly produced metaphors more often within the Struggle and Resilience and Uniqueness and Awareness categories, whilst those who did not exercise regularly tended to produce metaphors within the Purity and Value Attribution, Inadequacy and Restriction and Social and Emotional Approach categories. Overall, the findings suggest that regular participation in sporting activities may be associated with metaphorical perceptions of disability and could contribute to future research and practice in teacher training, inclusive education and adapted physical activity.

Keywords: Disability, Metaphor, Trainee Teachers, Fine Arts, Sports Science