Differences and Diversity in Physical Education Differences and Diversity are present in physical education classes. Students will face and navigate different social issues, such as gender, disability, race, socioeconomic status, and body issues. It is important for the teacher to not only make students aware of these issues, but educate them about the issues. Gender • Equal opportunities for boys and girls had to be established in activities, facilities, equipment, curriculum, testing and grading requirements, and behavior and dress codes. These changes meant that a shift from same sex to coeducational physical education classes was needed to ensure that males and females were provided comparable educational opportunities. For many teachers, this posed a challenge, as male teachers were used to teaching boys and female teachers were used to teaching girls. Disability • On seeing the word disability, many may be quick to assume that it refers only to individuals with special needs, such as people who are in wheelchairs, are visually or hearing impaired, or have cerebral palsy. The reason “dis” is in parentheses is because students’ ability, whether they are disabled or not, is observed, analyzed, and assessed by teachers and other students in the public arena of physical education. Students with disabilities include those with mental and emotional impairments, physical challenges such as cerebral palsy or amputation, vision and hearing problems, speech disorders, learning disabilities, and other health impairments such as asthma, heart problems, and cancer. Body Issues • In physical education, students’ bodies are exposed and placed on display due to the public nature of the environment. Students, particularly girls, are concerned about other students observing their bodies in motion and feeling as if their bodies are objectified. During the adolescent years, when students’ bodies are developing and changing, this public exposure creates a great challenge for students, which often supersedes their ability to focus on learning the physical education content. Race, Class and Sexuality • Along with disability, gender, and body issues, race, class, and sexuality are also differences that teachers need to educate students about in physical education. Race • Students get assigned certain positions based on their race. For example, white students tend to play positions that are considered more intellectual, such as quarterback or pitcher, whereas black students play run- ning back, wide receiver, or forward in basketball, because those are positions that are considered more athletic. Teachers are predominantly white, yet the racial diversity of our country continues to increase, causing a gap across racial groups. Class • Socioeconomic status or class also has an impact on physical education programs. In economically disadvantaged communities, particularly in urban settings, many physical education teachers are limited in regard to facilities, equipment, and space. Within these same communities, students may not have the appropriate attire to participate in physical education. This is considered a major problem for physical education teachers who continue to grade students on dress and participation. Sexuality • Sexuality closely intersects with gender. In the discussion on gender, we briefly mentioned gender stereotypes that are socially constructed. An example of a stereotype is that girls are associated with the color pink, whereas boys are aligned with the color blue. In your everyday conversations with friends and family, what is said if a boy wears pink? What if girls want to play football or wrestle, boys want to dance or be cheerleaders? Stereotypes are formulated, because our society influences our knowledge and understanding of what is, yet few individuals ever ask the question why. When answering these questions, many students most likely labeled these boys and girls as gay, because society says that boys are sup- posed to play football and wrestle, not girls, and girls are supposed to dance and cheerlead. If individuals break the dominant belief that is, what is considered to be normal then their sexuality is immediately questioned.
