“We’ve Got to Stick to the Curriculum, Right?” An Exploration of Female High School Physical Educators’ Beliefs about Competition in Their Classes

Abstract

In order to examine physical educators’ personal beliefs about competition, seven female high school teachers took part in individual interviews. Participants discussed their personal beliefs concerning competition, and what they thought their female students believed about competition. Further, they described their pedagogical decision-making in light of these beliefs. Themes emerging from the interviews indicated these teachers believed competition meant experiences that demanded intensity, focus, best performance, skill, and winning. They also believed that students understood competition only to mean winning or losing. Wide variations in skill competency led teachers to highlight participation and fun and downplay competition in class. These pedagogical responses and their implications for physical education teacher educators, student teachers, and practicing physical educators are discussed.