Abstract:

Despite the efforts made in recent decades to increase gender awareness in education, gender stereotypes still exist, especially in the field of physical activity (PA) and sport. Gender stereotypes have influenced and conditioned the participation, physical self-concept and professional development of women in sport. The objective of this study is to identify the perceptions of adolescents about gender stereotypes in the field of PA and sport. To do this, we conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study using a validated 25-item questionnaire that studies gender beliefs and stereotypes related to PA, sports and physical education classes (PE). A total of 401 students from Barcelona (SPAIN) were selected. The students were enrolled in the Compulsory Secondary Education (ages 12-16) and in the pre-university courses (ages 16-18). Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS Statistics (v.27). Data were tested for normality. The statistical methods used were: contingency tables and Chi-square test. The results show a moderate presence of stereotyped beliefs and thoughts. Significant differences are observed in terms of sex and age: more stereotyped ideas are detected in boys and in students over 15 to 18 years of age. No significant differences were found based on the educational level of the parents and the extracurricular sports practice. Students also expressed a neutral position regarding the differential treatment of teachers in PE classes. Finally, the results suggest the need to introduce, both in the classroom and in the field of PE, actions that help to reorient these perceptions, thus moving towards changing thoughts and attitudes and equal opportunities.

Keywords:

Gender stereotypes, physical activity, sport, physical education, adolescents.