Complementary images in Physical Education books: A study of the stereotypes in Primary Education textbooks

The aim of the study is to find out what complementary images are represented in Physical Education textbooks for Primary School and check if they reproduce stereotypes. The sample consisted of a total of 2056 images, belonging to 34 textbooks published by six Spanish publishers between 2006 and 2013. The research technique was the content analysis through the SAIMEF tool. A descriptive analysis was performed and the contingency tables were made using the Pearson Chi-Square test statistic (X-2), setting the level of significance at 5% (alpha =.05). All the results were obtained through the statistical package SPSS 22.0. The results showed images that don't promote healthy physical activity or intrinsic values related to physical activity and/or sports, as explained in the Primary Education curriculum of the Spanish education system. It is necessary that publishers and educational administrations become aware of this hidden curriculum that is projected in the curriculum material.