WOMEN IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER EDUCATION: AN APPROACH TO THE DIFFICULTIES IN THEIR FORMATIVE EXPERIENCES

The literature has highlighted the masculinization of the Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) career. This study aimed to understand, from a gender perspective, the difficulties in the formative experiences of female PETE students within the context of a masculinized career. Adopting a qualitative approach within the interpretative paradigm, six focus groups were conducted with a total of 20 female students from six Chilean universities using a semi -structured script. The data collected were analyzed thematically to identify recurrent themes and variations in the responses. Interpretations were made to search for relationships and underlying meanings. Three relevant findings emerged: a) a low awareness of the presence of masculinization in the career; b) the persistence of sexism and gender stereotypes, to which students reacted through justification, resignation and questioning; and c) a division and, at times, hierarchization between sport and pedagogy in terms of gender.