Abstract

Physical education offers special chances and possibilities for chronically ill students. The number of German children with a chronic disease is rising, various sources document that up to one quarter of all students have a chronic disease, meaning a long-term illness. Despite the alarming numbers, not much sport-pedagogical literature on the integration of students with chronic disease at public schools can be found. Nor is this topic part of the main curriculum in the PE teacher-education programme. Additionally lessons such as Sportförderunterricht (sport-education support) are being cut in the wake of study programme reforms. Against this background of a lack of information and research important questions must be asked, including: How do PE teachers deal with students with a chronic disease? How do teachers organize their lessons so that these students are enable to participate and not just sit on the bench, observing? What other problems confront PE teachers? In order to assess the situation at schools, a study was initiated by the Department of Sports Science, Sports Pedagogy of the University of Münster on the topic of 'Integration of Students with a Chronic Disease in Physical Education'. In a pre-study, questionnaires were sent to schools to provide initial insight on how noticeable the presence of students with a chronic disease is in everyday school life and especially PE. Following the pre-study, PE teachers at different grammar schools in North Rhine-Westphalia were interviewed regarding the requirements for handling students with a chronic disease. Aus der Einführung