Countering a chilly climate with a chill style: Exploring instruction on gender in the sport management classroom

Abstract

This article discusses qualitative research on student perceptions of a White male sport management instructor's pedagogical style teaching an undergraduate course on women, gender and sport. The instructor took intentional steps within the class to situate his identity as part of his effort to promote more critical, inclusive, and multicultural learning. Findings from the data demonstrated that the instructor's classroom style contributed to disrupting the documented “chilly climate” that often operates in the sport management discipline which can harm the learning opportunities for underrepresented students. Drawing on the conclusions presented, practical implications and suggestions for sport management educators are discussed.