Impact of Physical Educators’ Appearance and Sex on Elementary School Students’ Learning and Perceptions of the Teachers

Abstract

Purpose: This research examined the impact of two physical educators’ appearance and sex on elementary school students’ learning and teacher perceptions. Method: Four videos consisting of female informal appearance, female formal appearance, male informal appearance, and male formal appearance were created. A content examination and a perception questionnaire were used to collect data. Factorial analyses of variance were conducted to identify significant main effects or interactions on the examination (i.e., total score, techniques, strategies) and teacher perceptions (i.e., likability, competence, role modeling). Results: Data revealed no significant main effect for teacher appearance or sex on the six variables. A significant interaction effect on the technique-related question was identified; the participants scored higher when the female teacher dressed formally than when she dressed informally. However, the participants performed better when the male teacher dressed informally than when he dressed formally. Discussion/Conclusion: Future research investigating the “true” formal and informal appearance is warranted.