Previous research (e.g. O’Brien, Hunter, & Banks, 2007) has documented the presence of anti-fat bias in current and future exercise science professionals, including physical education instructors. Such studies speculate that anti-fat bias can result in discriminatory behavior against individuals who are overweight or obese, including children and adolescents in physical education. Discriminatory teacher behavior may include lesser frequency and quality of feedback (Greenleaf & Weiller, 2005), which might negatively impact student learning. The purpose of the current study study was to examine the extent to which implicit, explicit, and behavioral anti-fat bias existed within a sample of 18 pre-service physical educators.
Method: Pre-service teachers completed pre-observation measures of implicit anti-fat bias, explicit anti-fat attitudes, and perceptions of the physical self of overweight children. They were then systematically coded for the frequency and type of feedback provided to perceived normal and overweight students during a 12-week teaching practicum. Following the practicum, a sample of the pre-service teachers also completed a qualitative interview designed to assess perceptions and consequences of potential differential behavior as well as strategies for eliminating preferential treatment.
Analysis/Results:
Descriptive statistics demonstrated that 10 of the 18 pre-service teachers had strong implicit preference for thinness compared to fatness, while another five had a moderate preference. Assessment of explicit anti-fat bias indicated that study participants generally agreed fat people aren’t as physically attractive and are lazier than thin people. Pre-service educators also believed overweight children to be in poorer physical condition, have a lower body image, and possess lesser overall physical self-worth than their normal-weight counterparts. Multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) results indicated that implicit anti-fat bias was significantly related to desist commands, while explicit anti-fat bias was significantly related to hustle prompts. Qualitative interviews suggested that participants perceived their praises and specific interactions were higher for overweight children; praises were important for encouraging overweight students to continue engaging in activities that seemed difficult for them, while increased specific feedback was necessary because overweight children were thought to be less skilled than their normal-weight counterparts. None of the participants indicated that teaching students who are overweight was specifically discussed in their preparatory classes.
Conclusions:
Preliminary recommendations include that pre-service teachers should be given the opportunity to interact with students across all categories of social difference. They should also engage in active self-reflection to enhance their pedagogical self-awareness and positively shape future interactions with diverse populations.