Abstract

The objective of this experimental study is to determine the effect of  leisure education programme including sportive activities on the perceived freedom in leisure of adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities. The research was designed with an experimental group (n= 37) and a control group (n= 34), and was conducted among a total of 71 adolescent students with mild intellectual disabilities in the spring semester of the 2014- 2015 academic year. The experimental group participated in a leisure education programme including sportive leisure activities that were supported by leisure coaching for 8 weeks. The short form of the Leisure Diagnostic Battery was applied to all participants as a pre- and post-test. Paired sample t tests and independent sample t tests were used to analyze the statistical data within the study, and the collected data were analysed using the R Project package program. A significant difference was found between the pre- and post-tests of the adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities in the experimental group. Moreover, a significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups. According to the results, a leisure education programme including sportive activities had a positive impact on perceived freedom in the leisure of individuals with intellectual disabilities. 

Key words: Sportive leisure activities, leisure education, perceived freedom in leisure, intellectual disabilities.