PEPAYS ‘Let’s Talk’ Research Series Presents…
(in association with the i-PLAY programme)
Date: Wednesday 17th April from 7-8pm
Location: ONLINE – MS TEAMS
Speaker: Amanda Farrugia (Senior Lecturer – Malta College of Arts, Science, & Technology)
Title: Promoting Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport Participation with Children with Intellectual Disability in an Inclusive Setting.
The integration and inclusion of all individuals into school structures and curricular provision is an essential feature of teaching and coaching. Catering for individuals with varying levels of ability from limited to a high level requires knowledge of appropriate pedagogical principles and an ability to situate the needs of the individual in multiple physical activity settings. In order to facilitate ALL learners, participants, and athletes, those provide physical education (PE), physical activity (PA), and sport opportunities must be able to critically evaluate, inform, and guide their own inclusive professional practice.
This presentation is designed to provide attendees with an overview of possible practices and considerations as they apply to inclusive PE, PA, and sport settings. Specifically, the skills and strategies necessary for the inclusion of persons with special needs will be discussed. It is hoped that attendees will come willing to identify and discuss their perspectives on how Ireland views the inclusion of children with disabilities and the efforts it takes to promote more inclusive PE, PA, and sport programmes.
Brief Bio: Amanda is a senior lecturer in the Sports Department within the Institute of Community Services at the Malta College of Arts, Science, & Technology (MCAST). In 2010, Amanda obtained a Bachelor of Education (hons.), degree specialising in Physical Education from the University of Malta. Following that, she graduated with an MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology from Staffordshire University focusing her research project on sport psychology and intellectual disability. Building upon her academic background, Amanda embarked on a doctoral journey at the University of Birmingham, where she completed her PhD in Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences in 2023. Her research focused on “Promoting Physical Activity and Sport Participation with Individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) in an Inclusive Setting.” Through this endeavour, her aim was to contribute to the development of pedagogical strategies for fostering inclusivity and enhancing the overall well-being of individuals with ID through PE, PA, and sports.
Amanda worked as a full-time secondary P.E. teacher in church schools for 6 years. In 2016, Amanda joined MCAST as a full time Senior Sport Lecturer where she lectures BSc sport exercise and health students focusing mainly on sport psychology and qualitative research methods while also providing research supervision. Amanda is an former basketball and football player, who has coached both sports together with athletics for several years. She then started specialising in disability sports, shifting her coaching to Special Olympics, as a qualified Athletics coach (Pro Licence) with athletes with intellectual disabilities.
She organised several unified events for Special Olympics Malta and represented the respective NGO as an athletics coach in three World Games and in various conferences. Apart from this, Amanda also worked with a German University on a project entitled ‘Inclusive Physical Education’ and she was a consultant with Special Olympics concerning research and educational curricula. Amanda also supervises dissertations for IPES, MTL, B.Psy., BA and BSc students at the University of Malta. Lastly, Amanda has been working with the Malta Football Association as a visiting lecturer, giving seminars and workshops related to sports psychology to both players and staff and since 2020, Amanda is also the Team Manager of the Women’s National Team of Malta.
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For further information, please contact: Dr. Daniel Tindall (Daniel.Tindall@ul.ie)
For more information on the i-PLAY programme, please visit us at the following website: https://www.ul.ie/ehs/pess/i-play. There you can listen to an interview conducted in 2011 on Limerick’s Live 95 that further explains the rationale for the programme.
Dr. Daniel Tindall is a Associate Professor of Physical Education in the Physical Education and Sport Sciences Department, UL and the i-PLAY Co-Director.
Contact: Daniel.tindall@ul.ie ResearchGate ORCID Scopus
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