Aps as an awareness raising tool disability in higher education

Abstract

Service Learning (SLA) is a tool used in higher education, with the aim of enriching learning and strengthening communities, with its  transformative potential as an educational and social movement being fundamental (Calvo, Sotelino and Rodríguez, 2019). PHC is an educational model based on solidarity, since it promotes civic values and an entrepreneurial culture, encouraging responsible citizen participation in meeting the needs of the community (Mendía, 2012). The objective of the study was to know the impact of the APS methodology as a means of raising awareness among students of the Physical Activity and Sport Sciences degree (CAFD). Some of the PSA experiences developed by the third year Adapted Sport students of the CAFD degree were collected and analyzed. The group interview was used as a qualitative information gathering technique with 8 participants from the different projects analyzed. It could be observed as a common element that in all the experiences there was direct contact with people with disabilities. Some of the experiences collected from the students showed that this type of projects promoted a greater involvement of the students in the subject of adapted sport. The students highlighted the APS methodology as a key to having direct experiences with people with disabilities and thus promoting awareness. It would be desirable to promote the use of the APS methodology in subjects such as Adapted Sport, in higher education, as it can be an adequate instrument to sensitize students towards people with some kind of disability, something that is increasingly necessary for future professionals in the field.