Manifestations of gender (in)equality and stereotypes in physical-motor #TikTokchallenges: A qualitative study

Manifestaciones de (des)igualdad y estereotipos de género en #TikTokchallenges físico-motrices: un estudio cualitativo

Jorge Agustín Zapatero Ayuso, Complutense University of MadridFollow
Elena Ramírez Rico, Complutense University of MadridFollow
Miguel Villa de Gregorio, Complutense University of MadridFollow
Irene Ramón-Otero, Complutense University of MadridFollow

DOI

10.22550/2174-0909.4232

Abstract

TikTok’s growth as a platform with mass use among the general population and especially among young people has significantly increased the scientific-educational community’s interest in it over the last five years. One of the main factors attracting attention has been the popular #trends or #TikTokTokchallenges, which can have an impact on the transmission and perpetuation of gender stereotypes. The main objective of this work was to explore the construction of gender manifested in #TikTokchallenges using a critical approach to guide and inform possible future educational interventions. A qualitative methodology with an emergent design was used, triangulating the use of an ad hoc coeducational scale, observation through a categorical system, and content analysis of a researcher diary. The sample comprised 86 videos with physical-motor content. The results obtained did not show a high gender inequality index in the sample analysed. However, the largest percentage of videos analysed did not show stereotype-free and gender-equal content. The elements that were identified as transmitting gender (in)equality in #trends included the shot type, interactions between participants, the music used, the hashtags used, the type of skill or physical ability shown in the challenge, and the body image presented. The information obtained highlights the importance of reviewing and addressing the physical-motor content of these TikTok challenges in educational contexts. The impact that consuming and/or producing this type of content can have on the young population and the design of educational and critical interventions to promote gender equality, including social networks, are discussed.

Financiación | Funding

This work was done with the support of the Vice-Rectorate for Quality of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid under the Innova-Teaching call for projects of the 2022-2023 academic year (Innova-Teaching project no. 368).

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Author Biography

Jorge-Agustín Zapatero-Ayuso. Doctorate in Organisation of Physical Activity and Sport (Universidad de Alcalá). Assistant professor in the Department of Didactics of Languages, Arts, and Physical Education at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He joined the institution in 2016. Before this he was a primary school teacher (specialising in physical education) in the Community of Madrid. Research interest in the didactics of physical education, specialising in competence-based teaching and coeducational and alternative methodologies in school physical activity teaching. Member of the “Gender studies in physical activity and sport” research group. Participant in projects with state funding, reviewer, and academic committee of various national and international journals and conferences. Author of numerous publications in impact journals and publishers.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5473-8225

Elena Ramírez Rico. Doctorate in Education (special doctoral prize), licentiate degree in Sciences of Physical Activity and Sport (end of degree prize), diploma in Primary Education in the Physical Education specialism, and expert degree in Statistics as a Methodological Tool in Research. Her academic career as a teacher and researcher started in 2005, and she has had various predoctoral grants and a postdoctoral grant. She is currently an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the UCM, where at present she is vice-dean for Students and head of the “Gender studies in physical activity and sport” research group. She was previously academic secretary of the Department of Musical and Corporal Expression, and coordinator of the Degree in Early Childhood Education. Lead researcher and participant in research projects and contracts (R&D&i; Institute for Women; Spanish Higher Sports Council, Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, Cooperation for Development, and Article 83, among others), notably the direction of the R&D&i project on “Gender relations in secondary Education. Strategies through, physical-sporting activity, to promote equity interactions free from violence and intimidation (REGeES project)”. Author of several publications in impact journals (JCR, SCOPUS) and with publishers (SPI).

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4585-1645

Miguel Villa-de Gregorio. Doctorate in Sciences of Physical Activity and Sport from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. For more than 14 years, his career was in teaching physical education at the primary and secondary–baccalaureate levels. Since 2019 he has been a teacher and researcher in the Department of Didactics of Languages, Arts, and Physical Education (Faculty of Education–Teacher Training Centre, Universidad Complutense de Madrid), and having been a professor of practice, he is now an assistant professor. As a university teacher he has delivered different modules relating to the didactics of physical education and students’ psycho-motor development. His background as a researcher is characterised by the study of the relations between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and motor competence issues in physical education. In addition, since 2020, he has been a member of the “Gender studies in physical activity and sport” research group in the aforementioned faculty, in which he has participated in an R&D project, contributing to its academic production.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0397-1262

Irene Ramón Otero. Doctorate in Sciences of Physical Activity and Sport from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and a licentiate degree in the same field from the Universidad de Alcalá. Her academic career started in 2008 when she began her professional career as a teacher and researcher supported by various predoctoral grants, notably a research staff training grant. She has taught in various public and private universities, most notably the Universidad de Alcalá and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, where she has worked since 2016. In the field of research, she has participated in various projects including two R&D&i projects, and she has written multiple publications centred on gender and the development of movement. She currently holds an administrative position as coordinator of the Degree in Early Childhood Education and teaches on this course and those of Primary Education as an assistant professor. She is also a member of the “Gender studies in physical activity and sport” research group at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1451-6908

Citación recomendada | Recommended citation

Zapatero-Ayuso, J. A., Ramírez-Rico, E., Villa-de Gregorio, M., & Ramón-Otero, I. (2025). Manifestations of gender (in)equality and stereotypes in physical-motor #TikTokchallenges: A qualitative study [Manifestaciones de (des)igualdad y estereotipos de género en #TikTokchallenges físico-motrices: un estudio cualitativo]. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 83(291), 323-345. https://doi.org/10.22550/2174-0909.4232