ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I investigate the theoretical and operational understanding of, and the distinction between, social constructivism and social constructionism, particularly as it applies to the study of disability in adapted physical education (APE) and general physical education. Both theories have ontological and epistemological foundations similarly used in research to investigate the institutional and social phenomenon of disability. Because constructionists challenge the notion that objective truth should be the goal of inquiry, scholarship, as presented in this chapter, provides both evidence of truth-challenging such concepts as ability and the construction of disability. A discussion addresses the unintended consequences that potentially impacts students with disabilities. Appreciating this complexity requires a critical analysis of our taken-for-granted assumptions on research and its application to practice.
