TITLE:
Analysis of Cognitive-Affective Tensions in Bodily Guidance in Physical Education in Senegal: Between Recognized Utility and Lived Discomfort
AUTHORS:
Danty Patrick Diompy
KEYWORDS:
Cognitive-Affective Paradox, Bodily Guidance, Weighted Discomfort Index, Physical Education
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.16 No.6,
June
9,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study, conducted in Senegal, explores how secondary school pupils in Dakar subjectively experience physical guidance in PE, that is, the physical gestures through which the teacher corrects or directs the pupil’s movement. Using a mixed-methods design combining questionnaires completed by 153 pupils and interviews with 8 teachers, the research highlights a cognitive-affective paradox reflected in the fact that 31% of pupils recognize the educational value of guidance whilst expressing discomfort at receiving it. This paradox is strongly influenced by gender and year group. Girls in Year 11 experience the highest level of tension, due to the combined effect of cultural norms of modesty, peer scrutiny and the developmental vulnerability associated with adolescence. Conversely, boys in their final year of secondary school demonstrate almost complete ease. The study identifies four typological profiles of pupils, each requiring a differentiated pedagogical strategy, and highlights the moderating role of extracurricular physical activity as a form of bodily capital that facilitates the reception of guidance. These results call for a rethinking of PE teacher training within specific socio-cultural contexts.