208
Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 2008, 25, 208-227
© 2008 Human Kinetics, Inc.
The authors are with the Department of Physical Education at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
in Oslo, Norway. E-mail: oyvind.standal@nih.no.
Peers as Resources for Learning:
A Situated Learning Approach to Adapted
Physical Activity in Rehabilitation
Øyvind F. Standal and Ejgil Jespersen
Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
The purpose of this study was to investigate the learning that takes place when
people with disabilities interact in a rehabilitation context. Data were generated
through in-depth interviews and close observations in a 2 ½ week-long rehabilita-
tion program, where the participants learned both wheelchair skills and adapted
physical activities. The findings from the qualitative data analysis are discussed
in the context of situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998). The
results indicate that peer learning extends beyond skills and techniques, to include
ways for the participants to make sense of their situations as wheelchair users.
Also, it was found that the community of practice established between the par-
ticipants represented a critical corrective to instructions provided by rehabilitation
professionals.
Rehabilitation has traditionally been associated with the process of regain-
ing lost functions (Legg, 2003; Normann, Sandvin, & Thommesen, 2004). Thus,
rehabilitation has been seen as a task primarily for the medical disciplines and the
health care sector (Normann et al., 2004). The scope of rehabilitation is gradually
expanding to include participation and activity dimensions, as expressed in the
International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF; WHO,
2001). In Norway, rehabilitation is defined as “time-limited, planned processes
with well-defined goals and means, in which various actors cooperate to assist
users in their own efforts to achieve the greatest possible functioning and coping
capacities, independence and participation in society” (Normann et al., 2004, p. 28).
Two important points can be highlighted from this definition. First, rehabilitation
is done in cooperation between different professional groups and the patient (in
the definition referred to as user). Rehabilitation is not only processes involving
medical professions, but includes other professional groups as well, e.g., social
workers and pedagogues. Secondly, the ultimate goal of rehabilitation is indepen-
dence and participation in society. Though restoring lost function is important, it is
not enough. Rehabilitation professionals must also ensure that patients are enabled
to be involved in important life situations (WHO, 2001).