Gender Stereotyping and Physical Education

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a survey of physical education (PE) teachers, the central object of which was to examine teachers' involvement in, and attitudes towards, the teaching of the six areas of activity contained in the National Curriculum for Physical Education (NCPE). A total of 207 questionnaires was issued to heads of departments and teachers of PE in secondary schools in the county of Nottinghamshire in England, of which 84 were returned. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the data indicate that the attitudes and actions of many PE teachers continue to reflect gender stereotyping, with marked tendencies for male PE teachers to perceive dance as a 'female-appropriate' activity and female PE teachers to perceive outdoor education as a 'male-appropriate' activity.

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