Physical Education Review 1994 Vol. 17 No. 2

Author: Flintoff, A.

Journal Article: Sexism and Homophobia in Physical Education: the Challenge for Teacher Educators

I found this paper to be interesting because it really highlighted the impact of how gender is dealt with among schools and throughout educational establishments. The research in the article were in depth interviews with teachers and educational leaders. This gave a lot of inside information on understanding how gender and sex are dealt with among various classes and educational locations. The article seemed to propose that especially in physical education courses, leaders in these situations will have to address issues that may arise and advocate for gender equality. This paper seemed to have a definite opinion on the author’s perspective of the issue at hand, and went into depth about the research and the effects on students. There are few opportunities in traditional education for learning experiences on gender roles and norms in education. These norms have a great impact on how teachers choose to address their students and teach. The research in this article also suggested that female students in classrooms want to make sure they are generally portrayed and heterosexual and feminine, while male students were more focused on power dynamics and competing with other students and peers. There was much more competitiveness involved observed among male students. I thought this article was very progressive in the way the author addressed the subject of gender norms and behavior.