Gender issues in primary physical education : a study with year 5 students

Abstract

Physical Education is crucial in a child’s development in a holistic education, yet it is experienced differently by children depending on their gender, both inside and outside schools, according to numerous studies. This study includes the pupils and their respective teachers so that their point of view and behaviour towards the issue of gender and Physical Education is analysed. The study was carried out in local Primary schools from each educational sector, being State, Independent and Girls’ and Boys’ Church Schools. Questionnaires with a total of 92 Year 5 children were carried out and interviews were done with the children’s respective teachers, being class or PE teachers, to elicit the gender differences issues among children during PE. This study shows that boys are more into PE than girls, and they seem to be more aware of stereotyped gender issues than girls. Teachers stated that they do not differentiate between genders, yet the results show that in some cases they do not expect girls to achieve the same ability as boys.