1st Edition

Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Methods for Researching Disability in Physical Education

Edited By Anthony J. Maher, Justin A. Haegele, Janine Coates Copyright 2026
474 Pages 31 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

474 Pages 31 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This is the first book to introduce qualitative research methods in the study of disability and physical education. It outlines key concepts and theories in disability and physical education, providing a platform for understanding, before exploring the full range of methodologies and techniques for research, data gathering, and data representation. Written by a team of leading researchers from... Read more

PART 1

Theoretical and conceptual considerations for researching disability in physical education

1 Physical education, disability and qualitative research: what are we talking about?

Justin A. Haegele, Anthony J. Maher and Janine Coates

2 Ontological, epistemological and axiological considerations when using qualitative methods for researching disability in physical education

Nancy L. I. Spencer and Győző Molnár

3 Positionality and reflexivity in research about disability in physical education

Antonios Ktenidis and Anthony J. Maher

4 Intersectionality and disability in physical education

José Devís‑Devís and Víctor Pérez‑Samaniego

5 Critical‑Ableist perspectives in physical education

Martin Giese and Tobias Buchner

6 Posthumanism, disability and physical education

Kay Sidebottom and Kate Bancroft

7 Dignity in disability representation in physical education: see me for who I am

Donna Goodwin, Amanda Ebert, Morgan Cathcart,

Keith Gilliard, Bruce Fleming, Debra Kennedy, Phil Krol, Tonia LaRiviere, Christine Schuster and Armando Venditti

8 Rigour in qualitative research about disability in physical education

Anthony J. Maher

PART 2

Methodologies for researching disability in physical education

9 Narrative inquiry, disability and physical education

Marta Oliver‑Álvarez, Erica Bennett, Kassandra Welch and Javier Monforte

10 Using cripistemologies as a grounding for participatory research with communities that are non‑verbal: “What’s best for you?”

Emma V. Richardson, Helen Black, Christian T. Wilson and Rebecca Foster

11 Appreciative inquiry in disability and physical education

Joanne Hill and Alex Baird

12 Phenomenological inquiry, disability and physical education

Maureen Connolly

13 Ethnography and disability in physical education

Colum Cronin

14 Life histories, disability, and physical education: recognising the path of inequality marked as destiny

Maria Luiza Tanure Alves, Isabella dos Santos Alves

and Náthali Fernanda Feliciano

15 Action research: a methodology to inform inclusive physical education

Kirsten Petrie, Kate Kernaghan and Patsie Frawley

16 Participatory research for examining disability in physical education

Janine Coates, Lesley Sharpe and Carolynne Mason

17 Co‑production, disability and physical education

Brett Smith and David Swanston

18 Grounded theory as a method for researching disability in physical education

Laura Davies

19 Reflexive thematic analysis, disability and physical education

Lisa R. Trainor and Andrea Bundon

20 Qualitative text analysis, disability and physical education

Sebastian Ruin

PART 3

Gathering and representing data from/with disabled children and young people

21 Individual and focus group discussions with disabled children and youth

Josephine Blagrave, T N Kirk, and Katherine Holland

22 Using photo‑elicitation with children for researching disability in physical education

Clare Woolhouse, Leon Fraser and Simon Dougherty

23 Using sensory methods for researching disability in physical education

James Brighton, Ben Powis and Laura Gubby

24 Dabbling, daubing and discovering: the value of arts‑based research in exploring the physical education and sporting experiences of young disabled students

Annette Stride and Hayley Fitzgerald

25 Keeping it real… using realist tales to understand special educational needs and disabilities in physical education

Alan Thomson, Jess Macbeth and Olivia Williams

26 Creative non‑fiction, disability and physical education

Daniel Martos‑Garcia, Wenceslao García‑Puchades, Bernat Espí and Rodrigo Atienza Gago

27 Visual representation of data in disability and physical education

Lesley Sharpe, Carolynne Mason and Janine Coates

28 Poetic representation of data in disability and physical education

Shrehan Lynch and Stephen Palmer

29 Physical education, disability, and qualitative research: concluding thoughts

Janine Coates, Justin A. Haegele, and Anthony J. Maher

 

Biography

Anthony J. Maher is the Director of Research and Professor of Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion in the Carnegie School of Education at Leeds Beckett University, UK. His research is sociological, philosophical, and psychological in nature, using participatory, life history, (auto)ethnographical, and narrative approaches.

Justin A. Haegele is the Colgate Darden Endowed Professor and the Director of the Center for Movement, Health, & Disability in the Department of Human Movement Studies & Special Education at Old Dominion University, US. He is the Immediate Past President of the North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity, and the Editor-in-Chief for the peer-reviewed publication Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly.

Janine Coates is a Reader in Equity and Inclusion in Physical Activity and Sport at Loughborough University, UK. She also serves as Associate Editor for the peer‑reviewed journal Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly.