An Exploration of Differences and Perceptions of Difference between Male and Female Challenge Course Instructors

Abstract

This paper explores and interprets data that expresses difference, and perception of difference, between male and female challenge course instructors. The data has been collected over several challenge course-training workshops in which the combination of co-instructors was either a co-ed pairing or two women working together. The concept of open-coding (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) was used to work with the data and yielded five key areas to be examined: technical/concrete skills and information, teaching/facilitation skills, role modeling and facilitating growth, being relaxed and fun, and being open and supportive. In some cases, differences were noted. Conclusions discuss the continued opportunity for women to work together in the absence of male co-instructors in order to further explore what is possible in challenging traditional gender constraints.

Keywords

Leadership gender diversity technical skills facilitation training

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