ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the teaching of climbing, the dilemmas which teachers experience in this setting and how they face them in lessons. It shows that features of this situation allow, and even demand that teachers give equal if not more attention to girls than boys. The chapter examines the implicit and explicit messages received by the pupils and suggests that teaching at Shotmoor brings about a shift in pupils' understanding of what constitutes gender appropriate behaviour and gender related capabilities. It discusses the issues in relation to the practice and organization of the school physical education curriculum. The chapter draws upon data which were collected during a ten weeks period of ethnographic research at Shotmoor, the focus of which was upon teaching and learning within outdoor activities curricula. It also draws upon the perspectives of many other pupils who visited Shotmoor during the period of research.
