Abstract

Many teenage girls hold largely negative attitudes towards physical activity in general and PE in particular. This negativity takes many forms and has serious consequences in terms of education, health and life-long learning. This study attempts to “give voice” to the often unheard girls themselves by exploring 75 girls’ experiences and understandings of PE lessons. It was found that most girls feel positively about PE but that there are a substantial proportion who have strong negative feelings and indeed “disengage” from the subject. It is concluded that not only are girls’ predispositions and needs diverse but that girls do not fit neatly into categories of “those who enjoy PE” and “those who do not’. Further that every individual’s responses are worthy of consideration in attempting to understand the place where teenage girls’ subcultures and identity formation intersect with their experiences in PE. Challenges are made to the PE profession in order to improve the teaching of PE for girls