Physical education teaching as a caring act—techniques of bodily touch and the paradox of caring

Bibliographic Data

ID12572467
AuthorsJoacim Andersson (0000-0003-0579-4201, Uppsala University, corresponding author), Marie Öhman (0000-0003-4844-9512, Örebro University), J Garrison (0000-0002-9030-079X, Virginia Tech)
Year2016
Volume23
Issue6
Pages591-606
Publication date2016-10-31
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSport Education and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1357-3322 • E-ISSN: 1470-1243
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13573322.2016.1244765
OpenAlexW2541882308
LanguageEN
Citations received24
References cited37

In this article, we investigate ‘no touch policies’ as a practical teacher concern that includes the body as a location, a source and a means in educational activity. We argue that to understand issues regarding physical touch within school practice we must conceive it as deeply associated with specific teaching techniques. Thus, the didactical challenge is not found in argumentations about the pro and cons of physical touch, but through analysis of how teachers handle student interaction and teaching intentions.We consider teaching as a caring profession. Caring, as a practical teacher concern, requires wisdom regarding the right time to use bodily touch and to refrain from such use. This wisdom involves the ability to discern people’s needs, desires, interests and purposes in particular situations and act appropriately. From a body pedagogical perspective we approach intergenerational touch not only as a discursive and power-related question but as an essential tension in the intersection of the; ambiguity attendant to any intentional act such as teaching, the conflict between the ethics of care and the ethics of justice, and finally, the paradox of caring.We draw on interviews with PE-teachers in Swedish primary, secondary and upper-secondary schools and analyses of a collection of techniques of bodily touch that are established and practiced with specific pedagogical purposes. The results shows PE teacher’s competence in handling different functions of intergenerational touch in relation to three different techniques of bodily touch; (1) Security touch, which is characterized by intentions to handle the fragile; (2) Denoting touch, which is characterized by intentions to handle learning content and (3) Relational touch, which is characterized by caring intentions. Each of these is of importance for the teachers in carrying out their call to teach and each of these relies on professional assessments whether or not it meets its intended purpose

Ambiguity · Competence (human resources · Pedagogy · Physical education · Sociology · Computer Science · Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports · Physical Education and Pedagogy · Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub