Culturally Relevant Physical Education and Health from the Perspective of Female BIPOC High School Graduates

Abstract

The purpose of this interpretive research study was to deepen our understanding of the meaning of culturally relevant physical and health education health (CRPHE) pedagogy (Author, date; Casey & Kentel, 2013; Ladson Billings, 1994; Robinson, Barrett & Robinson, 2016) from the perspective of racialized minority women. Four female students from East Indian, Filipino and Trinidadian backgrounds participated in a talking circle where they discussed their past experiences in physical and health education (PHE) settings. Inspired by Indigenous approaches to research that honour personal relationships (Kovach, 2009), the interview protocol was designed to help interrogate and interrupt systems of privilege, power and marginalization that characterize many PHE settings. Building on the theoretical foundations of culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1994; 1995a; 2001; 2014), the findings reinforce the importance of consistent and high teacher expectations for students while also revealing the on-going need for culturally relevant pedagogical approaches that recognize, affirm, integrate, and develop the cultural capacities of students within the curriculum. Importantly, the unrealized potential of PHE to develop students’ critical social consciousness in relation to social issues that impact their PHE experiences was revealed; as the study shows, students want to share responsibility for building a more inclusive PHE experience.