ABSTRACT

Background

Gendered grouping practices and curriculum provision are matters of long-standing contention and debate in physical education (PE) policy, research, and practice internationally. In England, there is a long tradition of single-sex grouping in PE in secondary schools, with accompanying gendered patterns of staffing and many boys and girls taught different activities in the curriculum. Research on the incidence of single- and mixed-sex grouping in PE is however scarce, dated, and limited in scale. At a time when education, sport, and society are challenged to move beyond binary discourses and critically review structures and practices that uphold stereotypical and established gendered power relations, this study sought to provide an evidence base and stimulus for researchers, policy-makers, and PE professionals to (re-) engage with grouping practices in PE. Specifically, the study was designed to provide a national picture of current single- and mixed-sex grouping arrangements in PE in secondary schools in England.

Method

Data were collected by a web-based survey of all 2873 mainstream state-funded co-educational secondary schools in England. The survey was addressed to Subject Leaders of PE and was open between September and October 2021. A total of 818 surveys were completed giving an overall response rate of 28.5%.

Results

The responses indicated that single-sex grouping is the most common arrangement in core (compulsory, non-examination) PE in Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9) and Key Stage 4 (Years 10–11), whilst mixed-sex grouping is dominant in General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and/or Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) PE in Key Stage 4. It was noticeable, however, that very few schools were using the same arrangement for all PE lessons in Key Stages 3 and 4, and some were using single-sex grouping within mixed-sex PE lessons, particularly in physical contact activities such as rugby and football. The responses highlighted that single- and mixed-sex grouping decisions in PE are complex and contingent on several interrelated factors, including curriculum content and structures, school timetabling, staffing arrangements and preferences, the nature of the student cohort, and specific considerations relating to safety in some sport contexts. Data indicated that in many instances grouping arrangements in secondary school PE in England serve to reproduce and legitimate restrictive binary gender discourses. There was some but limited evidence of grouping approaches positively supporting gender diversity within PE, with a small number of schools organising PE in mixed-sex classes to be more inclusive of transgender and non-binary students.

Discussion and conclusion

This study highlights the role that grouping approaches play in either impeding or advancing work to strengthen gender equity and inclusion in PE and identifies teachers’ knowledge, skills, and understandings relating to grouping approaches and gender diversity as an important focus for initial teacher education and professional learning. The paper also calls for engagement from research and professional communities internationally to inform future policies and practices regarding the use of grouping approaches in PE.

中文翻译：

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英国中学体育教育中性别分组做法的全国调查

摘要

背景

性别分组实践和课程设置是国际体育教育（PE）政策、研究和实践中长期争论和争论的问题。在英格兰，中学体育课有着单一性别分组的悠久传统，伴随着人员配置的性别模式，许多男孩和女孩在课程中教授不同的活动。然而，关于 PE 中单一性别和混合性别分组​​发生率的研究很少、过时且规模有限。在教育、体育和社会面临超越二元话语并批判性审查维护陈规定型和既定性别权力关系的结构和实践的挑战之际，这项研究试图为研究人员、政策制定者、和体育专业人士（重新）参与体育分组实践。具体来说，该研究旨在提供英格兰中学体育中当前单一性别和混合性别分组​​安排的全国情况。

方法

数据是通过对英格兰所有 2873 所主流公立男女混合中学进行的网络调查收集的。该调查面向体育学科带头人，于 2021 年 9 月至 10 月期间开放。共完成了 818 份调查，总体回复率为 28.5%。

结果

答复表明，单一性别分组是关键阶段 3（7-9 年级）和关键阶段 4（10-11 年级）核心（强制、非考试）体育课程中最常见的安排，而混合性别分组​​在普通中等教育证书（GCSE）和/或商业和技术教育委员会（BTEC）关键阶段 4 体育课程中占主导地位。然而，值得注意的是，很少有学校对关键阶段的所有体育课程采用相同的安排第 3 和第 4 节，有些人在混合性别体育课中采用单一性别分组，特别是在橄榄球和足球等身体接触活动中。答复强调，体育中的单一性别和混合性别分组​​决策很复杂，取决于几个相互关联的因素，包括课程内容和结构、学校时间表、人员安排和偏好、学生群体的性质，以及某些体育运动中与安全相关的具体考虑因素。数据表明，在许多情况下，英国中学体育中的分组安排有助于再现和合法化限制性二元性别话语。有一些但有限的证据表明，分组方法积极支持体育运动中的性别多样性，少数学校在混合性别班级中组织体育运动，以更加包容跨性别和非二元学生。

讨论与结论

本研究强调了分组方法在阻碍或推进加强体育领域性别平等和包容性的工作中所发挥的作用，并确定教师对分组方法和性别多样性相关的知识、技能和理解是初始教师教育和专业学习的一个重要焦点。该文件还呼吁国际研究和专业团体的参与，为未来有关在体育运动中使用分组方法的政策和实践提供信息。