Trainee teachers' perceptions of job advertisements in England with regard to gender and physical education

Abstract

This article explores the ways in which job advertisements for physical education (PE) teachers in England perpetuate stereotypical notions of gender and how this can affect recruitment within the profession. It assesses the extent to which the 'gendered' vocabulary used in job advertisements can potentially influence the decision-making of women and men seeking secondary school PE teaching posts in England and the implications for professional practice. Discussions with 32 postgraduate trainee teachers were carried out at a teacher training institution in the south of England and focused on their perceptions of 30 job advertisements for PE teachers. The data showed that male and female trainees often felt that employment opportunities for men and women in PE were constrained by the 'gendered' vocabulary included within advertisements and therefore had some impact on their decisions when considering whether to apply for particular posts. Given the dominance of sex-differentiated patterns of staffing within PE in the United Kingdom, the study raises questions related to employment rights of women and men and assesses the extent to which vocabulary can deter or prevent potential applicants from applying for particular teaching posts based on their sex. Likewise, this study considers whether PE job advertisements, particularly for senior PE management positions, can be justified on the grounds of sex within the framework of equal opportunities.