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In an ever diversifying nation, equity for all students is under continual

revision and adjustment in a teacher’s pedagogical approach. As such, it is paramount

that new and old research is consistently evaluated for its currency within its

designated field to ensure the utmost practices and thinking is being implement into

teaching pedagogies to benefit student learning and sense of belonging. In the article

‘The Equal Play Study’ (referred to from here out as Article A), Symons, O’Sullivan,

Borkoles, Anderson and Polman (2014) explore that relationship between the mental

health of same-sex attracted and gender diverse (SSAGD) students in relation to

homophobic bullying and abuse that transpires in sporting and physical education

settings. Article A will be compared and contrasted with the National Union of

Students (2012) (referred to from here out as Article B) publication ‘Out in Sport’,

which similarly explores LGBT and sporting endeavours, but focusses on higher

education. Both studies explore the issue through similar research methodologies, that

of a mixed methods approach. This research essay will endeavour to determine the

strengths and weaknesses of both articles in conjunction with one another through

evaluating their level of research analysis and respective findings.

The grounding for Symons et al.’s (2014) Article A was specifically

conducted in order to extend the current knowledge and research basis pertaining to

the relationship between SSAGD students’ mental health in conjunction with sport

and PE, which emphasis the negative effects of homophobic bullying and abuse. The

principle notion of sporting environments which foster levels of heteronormativity

and therefore creating an unwelcoming environment for LGBT students is replicated

within the National Union of Students (2012) research report. Symon et al. (2014)

derived at the point in which schools are prime sites for discrimination and

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homophobic acts that negatively impact SSAGD students, whereas National Union of

Students (2012) emphasised the cultural stigma that has persisted to isolated SSAGD

students from sport. Ultimately, both studies asserted that sport can and does at

present have a negative impact on SSAGD students’ mental health.

The research analysis of both Article A and B depict a compressive and

insightful contextualised background/literature review on prevailing studies

conducted in the field whilst also addressing certain research gaps. Both articles

encapsulate a large portion of prior research carried out in the filed in a concise but

readable manor; one key attribute of an effective literature review (Gall, Gall & Borg,

2015, p. 77). It is important to note that Symons et.al (2014) as a later article draws on

the research conducted by the National Union of Students (2012) within their

literature review. So it can be ascertained that the research carried out by Symons et.al

(2014) drew upon and furthered the study carried out in Article B. As such, Article B

does not explicitly delve into the mental health of SSAGD students’, rather, the

literature review explores SSAGD in sport at a general level, this could be the result

of a lack of prior research between mental health and sport. Article A on the other

hand draws on the research in Article B and explores the gap in the research locating

the impeding consequences by linking discrimination in sport with the mental health

of SSAGD. Although Article A proves more inclusive and attempts to fill a gap of

prior research, the research in article B proved significant enough to be examined by

Symons et.al (2014) within their literature review. Both articles proved a well-

structured and clear depiction of previous research. They both build upon the prior

research and attempt to fill in the gaps of previous research.

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Within the data collection process, both articles A and B continually make

reference to their respective research methodologies throughout their research whilst

triangulating their findings. Although both articles aim to explore a similar topic, both

researchers use different methods in order to gain participant information. Both

articles incorporated a mixed-methods approach to examine their research problem in

order to see a convergence of data across the two research methods which would

increase the creditability of the findings (Hesse-Biber, 2014, p. 3). Whilst Symons

(2014) utilised both “forced-choice (quantitative) and open-ended (qualitative) survey

questions” (p. 7), National Union of Students (2012) opted for one-to-one interviews,

a national survey, and a series of workshops. However, one issue that arises within

both articles is the failure to adequately reference a sample of the questionnaire

surveys and other material used to obtain evidence. This limits the reliability of the

research as it cannot be effectively replicated in future research. Without disclosing

adequate methodology material, the credibility of the research weakened. Both

articles have utilised the mixed methods approach in order to triangulate their findings

in order to explore the issue arising among SSAGD students and the discriminatory

nature of sporting and PE activities. A sample of research methodologies attached in

the appendix of the article would enhance the credibility and reliability of the research

as it would become a replicable study for others to test and validate the findings.

Likewise, to data collection, both articles sought out similar, but also diverse,

means of methodological approaches to data sampling. They differed in their

distribution of their methodological approaches. Article A used a volunteer sample,

the study was promoted to participants through a variety of means such as flyers,

Facebook posts, and radio broadcasts. Symons et. al (2014) initially aimed at

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gathering participants from within the state of Victoria, however they acknowledged

they had to widen the recruitment endeavours nationally to achieve sufficient

participant numbers in the final three months of the recruitment drive. Likewise, to

Article A, Article B also targeted a volunteer sample through promotional mediums

such as social media. However, the research articles differ is their cluster samples

within the volunteer sampling. Article A notes they unexpectedly received 137

participants that registered as heterosexual, this group went on to be used as a point

for comparison for findings (Symons et.al, 2014, p. 8). Whereas, Article B notes they

received 1,186 participants in which only 845 were valid for their study (National

Union of Students, 2012, p. 13). Article A’s inclusion of what is perceived to be the

norm allows for further analyse to be ascertained and contrasted within context to the

wider population.

Following the methodological approaches to data collection, this paragraph

endeavours to explore the similarities and differences of the research findings of both

articles. Both studies attempted to look at the homophobic and discriminatory

attributes of sport and its implications for SSAGD students’. Article A does

differentiate from Article B in its findings as its research objectives were more

focused on the mental health implications of SSAGD students’. The findings as such

were interpreted in a depression, anxiety and stress scale as well as graphs. These

scales and graphs were used against the heterosexual group as appoint of comparison

that was unexpectedly obtained due to the nature of the methodological approach.

Although Article B does focusses of SSAGD students’ more generally in sport, it

effectively integrates the qualitative and quantitative findings collectively. Statistical

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data generated from the surveys is paired with statements obtained in the workshops

and one-on-one interviews, these statements are used to reinforce and explain the

predominate findings of the quantitative data (Gall et. al, 2015, p. 206). Article A on

the other hand, fails to adequately integrate the findings in a manner that triangulates

the findings, ultimately analysing the statistical data and the qualitative data

separately creating a disjointed feel within the results. Although both studies spend

considerable portions of the paper discussing their findings, they nevertheless fail to

provide substantial strategies to combat the corresponding results. Article A

endeavoured to showcase mental health issues in relation to discrimination within

sporting setting, Article B similarly attempted to showcase the sporting experiences of

SSAGD students’ in higher education. It would prove interesting for the point of the

research for the researchers to have offered potential strategies that would assist

combating the discriminatory practices that pertain sporting culture that continues to

elude and omit an unsafe environment for certain members of our society. Although it

would be a slow process, altering the negative sporting culture that isolates students,

teachers would effectively be able to create and foster a safe and supportive learning

environment that would encourage student participation which is a central standard

for teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2017, standard

4). Ultimately, both articles demonstrated findings that constituted to the research

area. They both explored the negative relationship sport can have on SSAGD

students’. Although Article B did not directly link the negative mental health

implications for these students, it did non-the-less highlight the issue created by

heteronormative practices imbedded in particular aspects of society and how these

actively and passively create an unsafe environment for diverse students.

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Significantly, what both research articles lack is an integration of the

implications upon teaching practices. For teachers to be able to create safe learning

environment that facilitates learning, they must first be able to identify the issues that

prevent learning and generate unsafe environments for certain students. An equitable

over equality approach to education is needed. Teachers must become aware of the

diverse community they are increasingly having to attend to. It is no longer possible

to split students into gendered PE classes as this could prove detrimental to SSAGD

students’. Article A lacks a cohesive conclusion entirely, this is a significant

limitation to its research objective as it fails to draw significant findings in relations to

its research objective. Without an obvious conclusion, it proves hard to extract the

concluding thoughts of the research paper to be able to utilise its finding in order to

integrate a more inclusive teaching practice that aims to avoid the potential issues of

discrimination in sport. Similarly, Article B, whilst providing an obvious conclusion

to the research paper, its conclusion fails to adequately met the original research

objectives. Research in education ultimately aims for teachers to eventually exert

evidence-based professional practice, in which they can draw upon research findings

and evaluate its effectiveness for the situation (Gall et.al, 2015, p. 3). As Neuman

(2009) emphasises, research is “less a single thing than an ongoing process” (p. 11).

Therefore, research in education is an ongoing process, it aims to position teacher

with the critical skills in order to become evidence-based professional practitioners.

Although no clear teaching integration practise are noted by the articles, teachers

would still benefit from this research as its showcases the wider issues of students

struggling with the limitations of being outside the cultural norm.

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In conclusion, both the research studies conducted have contributed and

furthered the knowledge within the field. Importantly, they both have put forward

legitimate claims supported by relevant findings that signpost the unsafe culture that

persists within sporting settings that isolates and discriminates against SSAGD

students’. Although neither article blatantly states or recommends strategies in order

to combat their findings, the underlying consensus of identifying sporting

environments as potential problems offers further research to be conducted into how

this issue can be effectively overcome. Article A has extended on the research

conducted in Article B to identify the potential mental health damage surrounding the

issue, in effect a gap in the research has been filled but it also leaves other areas to be

explored, such as the potential to explore gender diverse participants. Overall, both

articles explore the ability in which sporting settings can significantly impact SSAGD

students’. Therefore, it is evident that the continual research into educational matters

proves highly significant. In order to ensure the needs and health our students is

continually met, research needs to be an ongoing agenda in the education setting as to

ensure the currency and overall quality of teaching pedagogies are being effectively

met.

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References

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2017). Australian

Profession Standards for Teaching. Retrieved 20 May, 2017, from

https://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for

teachers/standards/list

Gall, M.D., Gall, J.P., & Borg, W.R. (2015) Applying educational research: How to

read, do and use research to solve problems of practice. (7th Ed.). Hoboken,

NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Hesse-Biber, S. N. (2014). Mixed Methods Research. New York: Guilford

Publications. Retrieved from

http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uwsau/detail.action?docID=471 19

National Union of Students. (2012). Out in Sport: LGBT students’ experiences of

sport. London: Research Report.

Neuman, W.L. (2009). Why do Research?. Understanding Research. Boston, MA:

Person/ Allyn and Bacon.

Symons, C., O'Sullivan, G., Borkoles, E., Andersen, M. B., & Polman, R. C. (2014).

The Equal Play Study: The impact of homophobic bullying during sport and

physical education participation on same-sex attracted and gender diverse

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young Australians’ depression and anxiety levels. Melbourne: Victoria

University.