Physical education teachers' experiences regarding online physical education lessons for children with autism spectrum disorder.

ABSTRACT

Background: The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the experiences of physical education (PE) teachers regarding online PE lessons for children with ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Participants in this study were 16 PE teachers who took part in one-on-one semi-structured phone interviews. Interview data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's recipe for thematic analysis. Result: Four overarching themes were found (1) we were unprepared for online lessons, (2) challenges of online lessons, (3) parental support, and (4) solution offers. Conclusion: The results revealed that PE teachers were unprepared for the sudden transition to online lessons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PE teachers started the online teaching with parent support despite the challenges, but they were not satisfied with the online PE model.