POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES TO THE RELATIONSHIPS OF GENDER

Abstract

Generally speaking, we've been observing more attention and concern to the matter of gender in our society during the last years. As for Physical Education specifically, discussions and studies about the relationships of gender have increased much. From studies held up to the present moment, several arguments in favour of coeducation at Physical Education classes can be found; however, one can observe a lack of studies helpful in indicating the real contribution of the area to matters referring to the subject. Based on a question raised in one of those studies, the present work has tried to check the possible contributions of coeducative classes of Physical Education given by teachers favourable to this proposal to the relationships of gender. Twenty students of the extensive project were in the research. Through a semi-structured interview it was possible to encircle some topics regarding the relationships of gender: the relationship with the opposite sex; a concept about the capacity of the opposite sex in the classroom and in Physical Education; stereotypes of gender in games; opinion and preference on the constitution of Physical Education groups based on the students sex. In a general way, the results of the research showed that among the answers presented by the students between the test and the retest, the majority hasn't changed. However, between choosing to be part of mixed groups of Physical Education instead of groups separated by sex, therefore against the argumentations of a great deal of teachers that don't agree with coeducation, the justification is that the students are the real opponents to the constitution of mixed groups of Physical Education.