Gender Studies in Physical Education and Sports

Physical education curriculums in schools or colleges are designed to encourage lifetime habits of physical activity by offering children with both the opportunity to be physically active and positive experiences of that activity. In
many nations, including India, there is general concern that levels of physical activity decrease during adolescence, and that girls are even less active than boys. Physical education teachers explored current beliefs about the effectiveness and value of physical education, gender issues within the physical education system, as well as the value of coed and same sex physical education. A consensus was found amongst educators regarding the goals and effectiveness of their physical education program. Schools or Colleges have no guidelines, or curriculum as to when, or whether to use single sex or coeducation classroom environments; and that current school physical education program set-ups are developed based on the opinions and beliefs of the educators who have very little formal education regarding the use of single sex and coeducation environments. It is found easier to activate girls in a single sex teaching environment, specifically, when taking part in activities that were more physical in nature and in the upper grades. However, all teachers were in favour of a mix of coeducation and single sex teaching environments within their programs in order that students benefit from the social interaction. The teachers indicated that girls in general needed more motivation or individual attention on behalf of the teachers in order to achieve greater levels of participation. Formal education regarding gender issues in physical education should be a requirement for physical education teachers. Furthermore, that schools should investigate whether their physical education programs are truly meeting the needs of both genders or not.