Work

Enabling and Constraining Factors in Community-Based Inclusive Sports Programs: The Moderating Role of Parental Engagement for Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: The effectiveness of community-based inclusive sports program is shaped by a complex interplay of facilitating and constraining factors. While structural barriers are documented, the moderating role of parental engagement in program outcomes remains underexplored, particularly in Global South educational contexts. Objective: To examine facilitating and constraining factors within a community-based inclusive sports program and to determine how parental engagement functions as a moderating variable in shaping outcomes for children with intellectual disabilities. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study with embedded deviant case analysis was conducted with fourteen participants (seven teachers, seven parents) at a government-run special education school in Indonesia. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Two subthemes captured the systemic context: (1) a supportive ecosystem comprising institutional leadership, teacher dedication, collaborative teamwork, and external organizational frameworks; and (2) persistent barriers including human resource constraints, facility limitations, inconsistent parental engagement, and tension between inclusive participation and competitive development. Deviant case analysis revealed that low parental involvement, limited program awareness, and absence of home-school reinforcement may attenuate otherwise positive program effects. Conclusion: While institutional support and teacher dedication constitute primary success drivers, parental engagement functions as a critical moderating variable. The findings propose a parental engagement continuum and identify actionable strategies for strengthening the home-school partnership.

Source: Journal of Sport and Health Research

DOI: 10.58727/jshr.121426