ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I review the empirically based research literature on pre-service preparation in adapted physical education (APE) to explore prominent scholarly trends and implications for professional practice. For some two decades, there has been an emergence of theoretical and empirical APE studies indicating a maturing of the field. However, research is still lacking focused on the impact of academic (curriculum) and practical (fieldwork) orientations. Research in the categories of behavioral and critical theory orientation is limited or non-existent. Implications for professional practice for training pre-service educators include the need for adequate APE focused coursework, and service learning practicum experiences.
