To Örebro University

Introduction: The overall interest in this paper is experiences of intergenerational touch in the school subject physical education (PE). The study focuses on students’ experiences of physical contact in PE practice. The study’s motive is based on previous research, which reveals that PE teachers have become more anxious and cautious in their approaches to students in terms of touching. Many teachers avoid physical touch or other behaviour with students that could be regarded as suspicious (Fletcher, 2013; Öhman, 2016; Piper, Garratt, & Taylor, 2013). As yet, very little is known about students’ experiences of physical contact in PE practice, making research in this area imperative.

Method: The study draws on interview data collected from 6 focus group interviews with 18 students and takes its starting point in a discourse-analytical tradition using a Foucauldian framework (Foucault, 1978/1991).

Results: The results show that the students experience physical contact from a heterosexual norm. One aspect of this is the students’ view on male and female PE teachers. In this perspective male teachers are more often suspected of sexual harassment than female. Additionally, the student’s express sympathy for male teachers because of that. Another aspect of this is the students’ view on students. They express that female students are more vulnerable and at risk of being subjected to abuse than male students.

Conclusions: In the prevailing moral discourse, physical contact is often seen in sexual terms. Educational environments that have become sexualized in this way hamper teachers’ pedagogical work and are not conducive to students’ learning, development or growth. When physical touch is sexualized, teachers risk being accused of molestation, at the same time students may also become fearful of being molested. In the students’ experiences of intergenerational touch a heterosexual perspective prevails, which puts pressure on foremost male PE teachers and female students.

References

Fletcher, S. (2013). Touching practive and physical education: deconstruction of a contemporary mpral panic. Sport, Education and Society, 5, ss. 694-709. doi:10.1080/13573322.2013.774272

Foucault, M. (1978/1991). Governmentality. i G. Burchell, C. Gordon, & P. Miller (Red.), Governmentality, The Foucault effect. Studies in Governmentality (ss. 87-104). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Piper, H., Garratt, D., & Taylor, B. (2013). Child abuse, child protection and defensive 'touch' in PE teaching and sports coaching. Sport, Education and Society, 5, ss. 583-598. doi:10.1080/13573322.2012.735653

Öhman, M. (2016). Losing touch - Teachers' self-regulation in physical education. European Physical Education Review, ss. 1-14. doi:10.1177/1356336X15622159