Teachers' stories: physical education teachers' constructions and experiences of masculinity within secondary school physical education

Physical education (PE) and sport have traditionally been identified by scholars as a key mechanism for the production and reproduction of a culturally esteemed ideal of masculinity, premised upon being stoic, strong, competitive, sexist and homophobic. Yet, more recent research reflects a change in valued masculinity as a response to declining cultural homohysteria. As such, this preliminary study looks to establish how PE teachers understand and construct masculinities within the educational environment. Through in-depth interviews, we find participants recognised many elements of softer masculinities, described in inclusive masculinities literature, as being performed by contemporary teenagers. This includes being emotionally open, embracing a more effeminate taste in dress and being increasingly physically tactile. However, we also found that the PE teachers have a cohort variance in their masculine values, with those socialised in sport through the 1980s showing the most orthodox and oppressive views.     

Heroism and science education reform

In this study, we use a cultural framework to examine two important science curriculum changes in a large Australian state during the 1960s and 1970s. In particular, we describe the activities of two prominent science educators who presided over these curriculum reforms against a backdrop of significant changes in the school system of the time. We represent the actions of these persons as heroic Drawing on interview data from these and other members of the community, we describe how the Heroes shaped, modified and united the culture through referents, rituals and artefacts. We speculate on the importance of heroic activity in supporing curriculum change.     

An operational definition of learning disabilities (cognitive domain) using WISC full scale IQ and peabody individual achievement test scores

An operational index of discrepancy to assist in identifying learning disabilities (LD) in the cognitive domain was derived using the Full Scale IQ, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Wechsler, 1949, and relevant subtest scores on the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) (Dunn and Markwardt, 1970. The index was applied to all legally identified LD children (N = 60) of a Michigan county who were in the LD program (1% of the total elementary school population of 6000 children). Of the 50 males and 10 females (mean age: 9 years 2 months; mean IQ: 91), the index identified 74% and 30% respectively as may be LD in the cognitive domain. This comprised 67% of the 60 children, or 2/3 of 1 % of the total elementary school population. Of the 67% may be LD children, 93% had discrepancy low PIAT subtest scores in Reading Recognition, 88% in Reading Comprehension, 83% in Spelling, and 52% in Arithmetic. Considerable caution should be exercised when classifying children, especially females, as LD.     

Formative evaluation applied to a learning hierarchy

A formative evaluation method applicable to learning hierarchies is described which simplifies data collection by employing results from a posttest. Relations among pairs of lower and higher elements of a portion of a previously formulated hierarchy for graphic skills in kinematics were tested by means of data obtained from a posttest given to 148 secondary-school students. Results were compared with those previously obtained for the same hierarchy by a rigorous validation method. Correspondence of the two sets of results was high. Examination of test responses for discrepant instances yielded further information of value. Results additionally indicate hierarchical relationships to be the same in retention as they were for learning.     

Uncertainty,environmental policy and social learning

This note puts the research project which led to this Special Issue in the context of developments in and around environmental policy over the past two decades, from the perspective of someone closely involved. It links political and institutional problems over sustainable development to the changing role and authority of science in contemporary society, and to the new kind of emphasis on social learning to be found in the papers that follow.