Introduction: This study examines the feelings of physical education teachers toward gender stereotypes and their impact on how boys and girls are perceived and supported during physical education classes. It explores how teachers’ expectations and attitudes reflect cultural biases, such as associating boys with physically demanding sports and girls with activities emphasizing grace and flexibility.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight teachers from diverse age groups and work environments (urban and rural). The research utilized MAXQDA software to analyze the emotional tone of the responses, categorizing them as positive, neutral, or negative.Results: The findings reveal that teachers generally maintain a neutral tone when discussing gender differences, focusing on objective observations rather than emotional evaluations. However, instances of positive attitudes, such as appreciating girls’ discipline and performance, suggest efforts to challenge stereotypes. In contrast, some responses reflect stricter expectations or criticisms of girls, which can perpetuate negative stereotypes.Conclusion: Teachers’ feelings significantly influence how they address gender stereotypes in physical education. Positive sentiments are associated with encouragement and inclusivity, while neutral or negative attitudes often reinforce traditional expectations, allowing stereotypes to persist. These findings underscore the need for targeted training programs to help teachers develop equitable and inclusive practices that reduce the influence of gender stereo-types on students’ experiences in physical education.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the role and importance of specific physical exercises in the development of the body schema in preparatory class pupils and its effect on the development of maturity. Methods: The experiment took place over a period of 10 weeks in which two physical education lessons per week were scheduled; the lessons include specific themes for the development of the body schema and contain exercises to arouse pupils’ interest in sports and physical activities from this age. A number of 150 pupils aged between 5 years and 6 months and 7 years and 6 months participated in the experiment. The pupils were divided into two groups: the experimental group (76 pupils, 32 boys and 34 girls) and the control group (74 pupils, 31 boys and 33 girls). Next, the “Draw-a-Person” Test was applied at the beginning and end of the experiment. Results: The analysis of the results highlights the fact that after completing the intervention plan there is a significant improvement in the results of the experimental group on the Maturity Scale and implicitly on the three development scales: Head Scale, Body Schema Scale, and Clothing Scale. Among the three scales, the Body Schema Scale has the greatest influence on the Maturity Scale (r = 0.841). Conclusions: The preparatory class produces a connection between the kindergarten and the school; furthermore, the physical education lessons with an emphasis on the development of the body scheme contribute to the development of maturity and school preparation of the pupils.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the promotion and practice of physical exercise and sport in relation to social class and the shifting roles of women in communist-governed Romania during the 1980s. Since sport played a central role in communist ideology, especially as a means of maintaining a healthy and growing workforce, the government encouraged physical activity through gymnastics at work (in the form of “production gymnastics”), in public wellness centers, and at home. In this study, the authors trace societal shifts related to changing policies and laws through corresponding shifts in the representation of female bodies engaged in sport and exercise by the media. Content analysis of Romanian magazine and newspaper articles published during the 1980s reveals how group physical exercises, such as maintenance gymnastics, were promoted to working-class women and how images of women became increasingly feminized and sexualized, thereby reinforcing new norms of feminine beauty.

During the Cold War in Eastern Europe, sport and politics became increasingly intertwined and complicated as the communist states, which strictly controlled the movement of its athletes, allowed athletes to travel abroad for competition, consequently opening opportunities for defection. In search of a better life, many athletes knowingly put themselves and their families at great risk, seeking opportunities to defect to other countries once outside their national borders. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the communist state in Romania acted to stop the defection of athletes from Romania, focusing on two defection situations which occurred at different points during the Cold War, one in 1956 and the second in 1981. Historical data for this study were retrieved from the National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives (CNSAS) in Romania, the archives at the Lausanne Olympic Museum in Switzerland, and the online archives from the National Archives of Australia (NAA).

In communist Romania, in order to create the ‘multilaterally developed socialist society’ promised by Nicolae Ceausescu, every field of social life participated. Sport, considered an underdeveloped area until the establishment of Communism in Romania, starts the transformations process. From 1977 until 1989, the national competition Daciada promoted mass sports activities. People were encouraged to participate in all these activities. Propaganda was one of the key elements in promoting Daciada in the sport press. By controlling the people’s free time of Romanians, Daciada played a role in the transformation of mass sport. The introduction of Ceausescu’s cult and the new politics of peace manifested in the mass demonstrations stopped the transformation of mass sport. Tourism practiced in Romania represented the alternative to a large compulsory activity that had lost its meaning.

Structured and purposeful physical activity has demonstrated significant effects on personality traits and behaviors among offenders, especially in reducing maladaptive behaviors. The European Prison Rules strongly advocate for all prisoners to have regular access to organized sports and physical education. This systematic review aims to emphasize the role of physical activity in enhancing inmates’ ability to control aggression, which in turn boosts their chances of successful social reintegration and lowers the risk of recidivism by improving self-esteem and locus of control. The review included eight relevant studies sourced from scientific platforms, analyzing research published between 2000 and 2023. The studies targeted both adult and young male and female inmates, regardless of their ethnicity, all of whom participated in structured physical education and sports programs within a prison environment. These programs varied in terms of physical activity, focusing on resistance and strength training, and were consistently associated with reduced aggression, improved self-esteem, and other benefits directly related to life in detention. Through the redirection of aggressive impulses and the enhancement of self-esteem and locus of control, physical activity plays a crucial role in preventing and reducing the harmful consequences of aggressive behavior in incarcerated populations. Keywords: physical activity, sports, prison, aggression control, self-esteem, locus of control