Gender Equitable Physical Education: A Phenomenological Study in an Islamic Elementary School Teacher Education Program

Background: Single- and mixed-sex grouping have long been a focus of attention in physical education (PE) and are matters often at the fore of discussions about curriculum planning, teaching, and learning. Nonetheless, there remains little consensus or guidance on which approach (or combination of approaches) should be preferred in PE in primary and secondary schools in England. Further, while single- and mixed-sex grouping have been extensively researched in PE in secondary schools, hitherto there remains an absence of research examining these practices in PE in primary schools. This research sought to address gaps in the literature to build a stronger evidence-base for decisions about gendered grouping practices in PE. Specifically, the study was designed to provide a snapshot of current single- and mixed-sex grouping arrangements in primary PE in England. Method: Data were collected via an online survey which was administered to all state-funded mainstream and special schools providing for children in Key Stage 1 (aged 5–7) and/or Key Stage 2 (aged 7–11) in the North-East of England (917 at the time of study). A total of 254 surveys were completed giving a response rate of 27.7%. Results: The responses indicate that nearly all schools were using mixed-sex grouping for PE, with children typically remaining in their mixed-sex form class and taught the same curriculum activities by their class teacher. Notably, no schools were using single-sex grouping for all PE lessons, although some were teaching combinations of single- and mixed-sex classes across different year groups and/or different activities of the curriculum. The responses also challenge the traditional dichotomous representation of single- and mixed-sex grouping by showing that some schools were grouping children into smaller single-sex groups within mixed-sex PE classes, particularly in activities requiring bodily contact. Some schools were also organising children into smaller mixed-sex groups within mixed-sex PE classes to encourage boys and girls to work together and support one another in their learning. Reported reasons for current grouping arrangements reflected both pragmatic considerations and perceived educational benefits of particular approaches, including school timetabling and consideration of gender equity in curriculum provision in PE. Conclusion: The conclusion calls for further research to explore the efficacy of single- and/or mixed-sex grouping in supporting and meeting the needs of all children in primary PE. Relatedly, we also highlight the importance of intersectional perspectives being brought to single- and mixed-sex grouping debates to inform the development of more nuanced, evidence-based policies and practices that promote inclusion and celebrate the diversity of children. We further suggest a need for research and policy to reconsider the language used in grouping practices to reflect commitments to gender diversity and gender equity.

Improving school physical education (PE) practices in the future mainly depends on supporting the professional capital of practitioners’ and early career scholars’. In this paper, I aim to present effective strategies to support the human, social and decisional capital of those PE and sports professionals in Turkey. To this end, first, the complex social-ecology of the country-specific PE setting was discussed by using Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) social-ecological model. Then, six strategies’ that were effective in supporting the professional development of teachers, coaches and early career scholars in this specific context, including identifying the learner subsets, understanding the local social, physical, and policy setting, connecting PE stakeholders toward the same aims, creating learning communities, being future-oriented, and being data-driven in practice were presented with the evidence to support them. Social-ecological examination of the setting indicated the poor outcome of PE for the learning of K12 students in developing movement and lifelong physical activity skills and knowledge. There were weaknesses identified in PE teachers’, coaches’, and scholars’ professional knowledge and skills. The social setting was not supportive especially for girls’ physical activity participation in rural areas. Physical Education-related community, organizational and the physical setting had inequalities for the population living in different regions of the country due to fast urbanization, family income level, geography, and climate variations, rapidly growing school-age population and migration. At the macro level, the influence of a centralized education system and the policies of institutions with interest in youth education, health, and sport over the PE practices was critical. Application of the six strategies by considering the social-ecological characteristics of the Turkish PE setting was successful in general. Based on the evidence, I strongly recommend a comprehensive examination of the social-ecology in each cultural setting during structuring the professional development programmes for teachers, coaches, and early career scholars.

Background: In this article, students’ diverse ways of participating in physical education (PE) practice shown in clips on YouTube were investigated. YouTube is the largest user-generated video-sharing website on the Internet, where different video content is presented. The clips on YouTube, as used in this paper, can be seen as a user-generated archive of ongoing PE practices that can enrich our understanding of how students participate in PE, as well as what they participate in. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to analyse students’ diverse ways of participating in PE in order to say something about its practice. Research design: A transactional approach, which takes action in ongoing activities as the point of departure, was used as a theoretical framework, and the sample used consisted of student- and teacher-posted video clips from 285 PE lessons in 27 different countries. Data analysis: In the analysis, students’ and teachers’ actions-in-ongoing-events were explored in terms of how they participate in the sociocultural practice of PE in terms of students’ and teachers’ habits-of-action. In the analysis students’ and teachers’ actions-in-ongoing-events were coded in terms of how they participated in ways that made the situation become stable. Findings: In transactional studies an effort is made to empirically describe and categorise the results of the analysis from the functions the actions constitute in a certain situation. In this study this implied categorising how actions, in the constant flow of actions, contributed to other actions being oriented in a specific direction in a certain situation. Four themes emerged from the analysis: Doing sport, Trying and having fun, Training fitness, and Dancing. Each theme describes how students and teachers participate and how they through their participation shape the content of PE practice. Conclusions: Questions of knowledge in PE can be seen as manifested in students’ and teachers’ ways of being and acting, as well as their ability to participate in the ongoing PE practices. The consequences of the study indicate that PE and what is regarded as relevant knowledge in PE practice can be constituted in several different ways. PE is about diverse ways of participating, and in this diversity PE is constituted in manifold ways in its practice. These participatory processes contribute to the constitution of PE as a sociocultural practice, and students know PE practice through these processes.

Background Gendered grouping practices and curriculum provision are matters of long-standing contention and debate in physical education (PE) policy, research, and practice internationally. In England, there is a long tradition of single-sex grouping in PE in secondary schools, with accompanying gendered patterns of staffing and many boys and girls taught different activities in the curriculum. Research on the incidence of single- and mixed-sex grouping in PE is however scarce, dated, and limited in scale. At a time when education, sport, and society are challenged to move beyond binary discourses and critically review structures and practices that uphold stereotypical and established gendered power relations, this study sought to provide an evidence base and stimulus for researchers, policy-makers, and PE professionals to (re-) engage with grouping practices in PE. Specifically, the study was designed to provide a national picture of current single- and mixed-sex grouping arrangements in PE in secondary schools in England. Method Data were collected by a web-based survey of all 2873 mainstream state-funded co-educational secondary schools in England. The survey was addressed to Subject Leaders of PE and was open between September and October 2021. A total of 818 surveys were completed giving an overall response rate of 28.5%. Results The responses indicated that single-sex grouping is the most common arrangement in core (compulsory, non-examination) PE in Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9) and Key Stage 4 (Years 10–11), whilst mixed-sex grouping is dominant in General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and/or Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) PE in Key Stage 4. It was noticeable, however, that very few schools were using the same arrangement for all PE lessons in Key Stages 3 and 4, and some were using single-sex grouping within mixed-sex PE lessons, particularly in physical contact activities such as rugby and football. The responses highlighted that single- and mixed-sex grouping decisions in PE are complex and contingent on several interrelated factors, including curriculum content and structures, school timetabling, staffing arrangements and preferences, the nature of the student cohort, and specific considerations relating to safety in some sport contexts. Data indicated that in many instances grouping arrangements in secondary school PE in England serve to reproduce and legitimate restrictive binary gender discourses. There was some but limited evidence of grouping approaches positively supporting gender diversity within PE, with a small number of schools organising PE in mixed-sex classes to be more inclusive of transgender and non-binary students. Discussion and conclusion This study highlights the role that grouping approaches play in either impeding or advancing work to strengthen gender equity and inclusion in PE and identifies teachers’ knowledge, skills, and understandings relating to grouping approaches and gender diversity as an important focus for initial teacher education and professional learning. The paper also calls for engagement from research and professional communities internationally to inform future policies and practices regarding the use of grouping approaches in PE.

The purpose of this study was to test for reciprocal relations between physical self-concept (PSC) and participation in physical activity (PA). We hypothesized specific bidirectional relations between PSC dimensions (i.e., perceived endurance, sport competence, and strength and body attractiveness) and participation in corresponding types of PA (i.e., aerobic exercise, team or individual sports, and strength training). Data were gathered from a questionnaire administered to 386 college students on two occasions (3-month interval) to assess PSC and participation in PA. Structural equation modeling revealed significant paths between each PSC dimension and a corresponding type of PA. Students reported more frequent participation in a specific PA when their PSC concerning the activity was high. However, participation in a given PA did not predict subsequent PSC in the corresponding PA, suggesting unidirectional effects of previous PSC on subsequent participation in PA. These results suggest that strategies that contribute to reinforce PSC are primordial and should be targeted as key components for designing effective PA behavior change interventions among college students.

This research delved into the participation and experiences of Maguindanaon students in gender stereotypes in physical education activities at Zeneben Integrated School. Utilizing a qualitative transcendental phenomenological approach. Qualitative investigation revealed Eighteen (18) emerging themes: parental and family influence, peer influence and social pressure, cultural gender stereotypes, forced participation and emotional impact, emotional responses, cognitive perceptions of gender roles, bodily awareness and perception, experiencing joy and vicarious participation, encountering challenges and barriers, sharing experiences and personal disclosure, teacher management and support, teacher gender preferences and comfort, internalization of gender norms and self-identity, emotional response, managing cultural identity in physical education, valuing gendered cultural norms in physical education, divergent perspectives on social engagement through physical education, interpreting physical education participation as a reflection of cultural and behavioral identity, perception on the necessity of learning physical activities. The research aimed to understand the challenges, experiences, perceptions, and societal influences shaping students' participation in physical education. Findings revealed that cultural norms, religious beliefs, and traditional gender expectations significantly impact students' engagement in physical activities. The study emphasized the role of teachers, parents, and school administrators in addressing gender biases and fostering an inclusive environment. The results provided insights for educators to develop culturally sensitive and gender-equitable physical education programs promoting active student participation.

Background Although the theory/practice dualism seems difficult to deal with in physical education (PE) practice, this paper posits that there are ways in which teachers can enable students to develop holistic competencies that encapsulate elements of both theoretical and practical knowledge. We therefore seek to rethink the relationship between theory and practice in PE practice and present ways in which PE teachers can connect these forms of knowledge with their students. We do so by looking at one of the historically most favoured means of bridging theory and practice: reflection. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute with knowledge about student reflection in PE practice. First, we discuss the concept of reflection to clarify how student reflection might be understood in the embodied and situated context of PE practice. Then, we reconceptualise reflection in a way that might enable teachers to bridge the gap between theory and practice in new and hopefully fruitful ways with their students. Theory and methods We draw on various theoretical traditions on reflection to present a reconceptualisation of reflection that encapsulates the practical, situated and embodied nature of PE. Theoretical discussion We present the following four key ideas pertaining to reflection that together create a framework for conceptualising student reflection in the PE context: 1) Why reflection is important: a matter of intelligent practice; 2) Students must learn to reflect – in relation to what?; 3) What should students reflect on?; and 4) The how questions: creating conditions for reflections through indeterminate situations. Drawing on these four key ideas, we present an example of how our theoretical discussions can form the following three intertwined principles for a pedagogy of student reflection in PE practice for PE teachers moving beyond a theory-and-practice divide in PE: 1) a pedagogy of becoming through reflection; 2) a pedagogy of reflecting on the plurality of embodied and situated meaning; and 3) a reflective pedagogy of enquiry and discovery. Conclusion Throughout this paper, we argue that students need to learn to reflect, we suggested how reflection could be facilitated and we proposed that the why(s), what(s) and how(s) should be the objects of student reflection in PE. It is necessary to highlight that our suggestions for a pedagogy of student reflection are not complete nor definite but could serve as points of departure for future discussions of student reflection in PE.

Background Previous studies have shown unequal treatment of female and male students during PE. However, few studies have focused on gendered communication between teachers and students. Particularly, students’ perceptions of communication have often remained unexplored. Understanding this process appears to be highly significant for ensuring gender equality in schools. In this study, we applied Foucault’s theory of normalization and Butler’s theory of gender performativity and heteronormativity to present data obtained during PE lessons in Polish upper secondary school. In Poland PE teachers still do not formally acquire knowledge of the significance of gender equality in the education process. No policies are formulated on teaching gender equality in schools. Hence, analyzing gendered communication during PE classes in Poland, where no specific gender equity legislation has been introduced, complements the ongoing discussion regarding prevailing gender structures in PE. Purpose The purpose of the study was to explore gendered communication between PE teachers and students in Polish upper secondary school, and perceptions about this communication specifically among male PE teachers and girls. Methods Data were gathered through three qualitative methods: observation of 60 PE lesson units, 17 focus group interviews with male (n = 27) and female students (n = 33), and 5 semi-structured in-depth interviews with PE teachers whose lessons were observed. Discourse analysis, informed by content analysis, was conducted to uncover fundamental communication patterns between teachers and students in the context of gender performativity and heteronormativity. Findings Communication between PE teachers and students demonstrated gender bias, indicating deeply rooted practices of heteronormativity. The male teachers communicated more frequently with female students than with male students and a significant portion of the communication took the form of jokes, teasing, and comments related to the physical appearance of the girls, romantic relationships and dating, and traditional gender roles assumed by women. Students’ statements obtained in the interviews indicate a significant degree of downplaying the impact of teachers’ way of communicating and ‘defending teachers’. They encountered a strong normalization process that restricted their ability to resist teacher communication. Although the PE teachers emphasized the importance of being ‘sensitive’ when communicating with students, PE the teachers’ understanding of gender issues appeared to be fragmented and unrefined, with insufficient recognition of the importance of proper communication with students. Conclusions The implications of this study emphasize the necessity for Polish PE teachers to acquire a deeper understanding of how gender operates within school environments and PE classes, recognizing its impact on students. This awareness is pivotal in recognizing and addressing heteronormative structures during lessons. In connection with that, a thorough discussion on the impact of political and cultural factors shaping the knowledge acquired by teachers and the curriculum in schools is required. Additionally, the research highlights a need for appropriate student education because they are currently subject to strong normalization processes. The normalization processes they undergo hinder their recognition of dominant gender relations in the school environment, and, consequently, their resistance to them.

The National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) have created three documents (elementary, middle school and high school) to guide physical educators in appropriate instructional practices (AIP) in physical education. The purpose of these documents is to aid physical educators in exposing their students to lessons and activities that will enable them to be successful in physical education classes and physical activity. Unfortunately, many students have been exposed to such activities as dodge ball, having captains picking teams in front of the whole class, and many others. This paper is a review of research dealing with appropriate instructional practices in physical education with a multitude of different populations. From these different populations, eight instructional practices have been repeatedly misidentified. These eight repeat offenders will be discussed.

Physical Education, Exercise, Fitness and Sports: Early PM&R Leaders Build a Strong Foundation

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract also in Chinese.
 The purpose of this study was to investigate school administrators’ knowledge of appropriate instructional practices in physical education. For this study 130 k-12 school administrators from two states in the United States were surveyed regarding their knowledge of appropriate instructional practices in physical education. University Institutional Review Board granted approval to conduct this study. Surveys were sent electronically to the school administrators to take. At the completion of the survey the school administrators were able to click a submit button and have the surveys returned to the researchers. It was found that school administrators identified dodge ball, relay races and elimination tag as an appropriate instructional practice. Also, full-sided games (30 students divided into two teams) were appropriate for students to participate in. These instructional practices are considered inappropriate for students to participate in. The implications of this study are to inform school administrators what practices are appropriate and inappropriate. It is hoped that physical educators and school administrators will work together to see that appropriate instructional practices are taught in physical education, thus benefitting students to become competent in their participation in physical activity.
 本研究的目的是探討學校管理者對體育的教學實踐知識。在這項研究中，邀請兩個州份的130位 K-12學校行政人員進行調 查，並獲大學機構審查委員會准許進行這項研究。調查以電子方式發送給學校管理者採取。結果發現，學校的管理者確定躲避球和接力賽作為適當的教學實踐。希望體育教師和學校管理者將共同努力，看到合適的體育教學實踐，從而惠及學生參與體能活動。

As a subject discipline frequently marginalized within the school system, enduring approaches to assessment do little advance the status of physical education. Current assessment practices in physical education are often disconnected from curricular outcomes, subjective in nature, and focused on assessment of learning rather than assessment for or as learning. Although assessment practices in physical education are routinely criticised for being poor, there is a paucity in assessment-focused physical education research. While physical education teacher education makes claims about a focus on student-centered formative assessment, the ongoing practice of ‘assessment of learning’ continues to be the prevailing model in schools. Completing a self-study using narrative inquiry, three physical educators at different stages of their career investigated their experiences with assessment in physical education. This research team came together hoping to improve their assessment practice and perhaps influence other physical educators. The educator’s stories, along with emails, documents, transcribed notes from meetings, and field notes from the lead researcher, became the data. Our findings suggest the need for ongoing physical education assessment-focused professional development. Equally significant, there is a need to establish communities of practice focused on supporting physical educators who often work in isolation or feel marginalized within the system.

Background: In this paper a study of both subject content and governing processes in Swedish physical education is presented. The reason why an analysis of both content and processes is of special interest is that it makes it possible to understand the encounter between the institutional level and the practice of education. Purpose: The purpose of the paper is threefold: (1) to analyse the subject content in physical education through identifying discourses embedded in its practice; (2) to illustrate how the subject content is created/re-created in physical education practice through various governing processes; and (3) to discuss how governing processes also become content through the socialization of students in terms of becoming a certain type of social citizen. Research design and data collection: The empirical material used is collected in connection with a national evaluation of physical education in Sweden, commissioned by the Swedish Government and the Swedish National Agency for Education. This paper uses local curriculum documents from 72 schools and 15 video-recorded physical education lessons from five schools. A starting point for the methodological framework is discourse theory and the governing perspective developed by Michel Foucault (1978/1991, 1980, 1982/2002). The governing perspective is used as a methodological tool, and we work with two overarching analysis themes: one oriented towards what pupils are governed, in terms of discourses embedded in physical education, and the other how the identified discourses are created/re-created in the practice of physical education. We also use the methodological framework as a tool to discuss how the governing processes also become content—a content of socialization. Findings: The results show that physical exertion and active participation are the main threads that run though the analysed material. In connection with physical exertion and active participation, pupils are also encouraged to cooperate with others and to compete. The content of socialization is primarily directed towards different components of willingness, for example a will to do one's best and a will to try, where the pupils are expected to be participatory, take responsibility and govern their own actions in the direction of that which is most reasonable. Conclusions: A clear message is communicated in physical education in Sweden—be active and work up a sweat. This is also concerned with fostering good character, i.e. creating correct attitudes and approaches through physical activity—be an active and willing person. Physical education is consequently a place where both political volition and the creation of today's citizens are staged. It is thus not only physical exertion—the physiological effects of exercise and involvement in sports and physical education—that is in the foreground of the activities we study in physical education. It is also about becoming a certain type of social citizen.

‘Girls get going’: Using Game Sense to promote sport participation amongst adolescent girls in rural and regional contexts

This study investigates best practices in physical education according to education experts across Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS), with the aim of providing recommendations and guidelines for the enhancement of the implementation of quality physical education. Employing qualitative research within Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems theoretical framework, data were collected via open-ended questionnaires from 11 purposefully selected physical education educators representing the BRICS nations. Themes identified through inductive content analysis encompassed physical education activities and pedagogy, status and support of physical education teachers, community involvement and governmental policies and initiatives. Participants highlighted the need for diverse, inclusive and autonomy-supportive activities, enhanced teacher recognition and training, community and parental engagement, supportive government policies, and continuous research. Applying Bronfenbrenner's framework, the study explains how factors within microsystems, mesosystems, exosystems and macrosystems influence physical education practices and policies within the BRICS nations, and brings forth recommendations for the elevation of physical education status, equal access to quality physical education resources, supportive learning environments, and learner-centred approaches to foster engagement and promote active lifestyles across diverse contexts within the BRICS nations.