Research suggests that transferring from elementary to secondary school can be a difficult experience for many children, and students making this transition often suffer from anxiety and stress. One source of stress is the scary stories transitioning students hear about their new schools, particularly those about physical education and sport. The purpose of this study was to examine the scary stories young African American adults recalled hearing about physical education as they made the transition from elementary to secondary school.
Method:
Folklore and the concept of role reversal were the theoretical perspectives that guided data collection and analysis. Participants were 51 African American students enrolled at one historically Black college. They were asked to write down scary stories they recalled hearing prior to transferring to secondary school within a two-item open-ended story record. Stories were coded and categorized and reduced to key themes using analytic induction and constant comparison.
Analysis/Results:
Stories were coded and categorized and reduced to key themes using analytic induction and constant comparison. Fifty-nine general scary stories were collected within three themes: (a) bullying and deviant behavior, (b) high academic standards, and (c) supernatural incidents and mythical rooms. Sixteen scary stories about physical education and sport were collected within four themes: (a) hard physical exercise, (b) communal showers and homosexual advances, (c) bullying in physical education, and (d) team initiations. These themes were similar to those found within earlier British studies and within one study of Caucasian Americans. Also in congruence with the earlier studies, the themes indicated a link between schooling and the body. The fact that there was no reference to physical education and sport within the general scary stories and that many of the participants could not recall scary stories about physical education when prompted to do so suggested that the subject was a peripheral feature within the participants’ folklore. This may have been because of the high standard of physical education they were provided. Conversely, it may reflect the insignificance of the subject in the participants’ lives.
Conclusions:
The study provided signposts on where the focus should be in order to improve the transitional process for children moving to secondary school. Specifically, results suggested continued emphasis on eradicating bullying, honing new academic skills, and familiarizing incoming students with their new school. In terms of physical education, results suggested that the focus be on quieting fears about showering, changing clothes, and lesson content.