INVITATION:
The Dean, School of Education under the College of Education and External Studies (CEES), cordially invites you to the PhD Public Defense of the following candidate:
Name of the Candidate: Ms. Nemigisha Leonidah Musoke
Title of Thesis:
Strategies for Implementing Gender Responsive Pedagogy in Physical Education Classes in Primary Schools in Central Uganda
Date: 13th November, 2026
Time: 9:30am – 1:00pm
Venue:
School of Education Board Room.
ABSTRACT
Physical Education (PE) is still the most gendered school subject in many parts of the world, where boys and male teachers reproduce their dominant and regulatory roles over girls, and the boys that do not conform to ideal forms of masculinity. The purpose of the study was to devise ways of addressing the problematic Gender Relations in the Pedagogy of PE in Primary Schools in Central Uganda. Objectives of the study were to; analyze the content of PE in the Primary Schools in Central Uganda; examine Pedagogical Practices in P. E Classes in Primary Schools in Central Uganda; assess the Gender Responsiveness of the Environment in which P.E was taught in Primary Schools in Central Uganda; and identify Strategies for implementing Gender Responsive Pedagogy in P. E Classes in Primary Schools in Central Uganda. The study was framed with in the Critical Pedagogical Action Research perspective, and the Gender-Education Theory. The study employed Participatory Action Research design in Qualitative Methodology. Maximum variation sampling was used where five primary schools were selected based on geographical locations and the categories of schools in Uganda. In each school, two classes were purposively chosen, one from lower primary and another from upper primary. Conferences, meetings, participant observation, field notes, interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, photography and videos were used to collect data. Results showed that learner encouragement into gendered games; changing of classroom language and setups; deconstruction of stereotypes, doing away with sexism and segregation, respecting one another irrespective of gender; mixing boys and girls in co-educational classes, better lesson preparations, made P.E very exciting, inclusive and interesting to the learners and teachers too. In conclusion, it became clear that not all that is prescribed by the curriculum was taught but the games whose equipment and facilities were available, and the ones that the teachers could handle. Some teachers were also gender biased with sexists’ tendencies and they could not encourage girls, and the boys that did not conform to ideal forms of masculinity. Besides, the gendered social environment being gendered, the physical one was inadequate with poor and insufficient equipment and facilities. The identified strategies equipped teachers with Gender Responsive Pedagogy, and right instructional methods and practices. The study recommends that Gender Responsive Pedagogy be mandatory for all Teacher Training Colleges, institutions and Universities that train teachers. All primary schools should be co-educational so that pupils learn to live and work together; and lastly, the ministry of education and sports should pronounce itself clearly on P.E as a school subject and put serious school inspection measures for minimum standards.
SUPERVISORS:
- DR. JOHN SENTONGO
- PROF. GRY HEGGLI – UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN – NORWAY
- DR. YUDA TADDEO KAAHWA
Your presence and participation will be highly appreciated as we support the student in this important academic milestone
