Hegemonic Masculinity in Sport Education Taught by Teaching-Oriented Interns

Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Exhibit Hall Poster Area 2 (Convention Center)
Yu-Chun Chen and Matthew Curtner-Smith, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

Background/Purpose Previous research had indicated the preservice teachers (PTs) with coaching orientations reinforced sexism and masculine bias while employing the sport education (SE) model. The purpose of the current study was to examine the degree to which SE delivered by PTs with teaching orientations served to combat or reinforce sexism and masculine bias.

Method Participants were two PTs who taught four SE seasons during their culminating internship. The theory of hegemonic masculinity (HM) guided data collection and analysis. Data were collected through formal, informal, and stimulated recall interviews, passive participant observation, and document analysis.

Analysis/Results Analytic induction and constant comparison were employed to reduce the data to four main themes. These were female nonconformity, opposition to male dominance, racial and class-related differences, and construction of pedagogical barriers. Key findings were that masculine bias and sexism were largely combatted and rejected during the SE seasons and that the PTs provided a relatively equitable experience for girls and smaller, less physically able boys. On a more negative note, PTs were not skilled enough to recognize more subtle forms of HM or prepared to discuss issues related to HM directly with the children in their classes, a stance which reduced their effectiveness. In addition, they used relatively few of the SE model's structures to combat HM, instead relying mainly on their general pedagogies.

Conclusions Key reasons for the PTs' success included their liberal views about sport, their willingness to confront the prevailing sporting culture, and the fact that they taught elementary-aged children.