The aim of this study is to examine whether the participation of Danish secondary school students in bathing and changing rooms after Physical Education (PE), can be changed through an action research design. Studies have shown that an increasing rate of students choose not to shower after PE. The Danish organization for PE teachers in secondary school has focused on this phenomenon in several of their members’ magazines under the theme of “The Bathing Issue”. It is seen as a consequence of the use of social media and the pursuit of the perfect image. Reality however is still seen in the bathing and changing rooms, and as a consequence students are hiding themselves away.
The study consists of 10 semi structured focus group interviews with five groups containing 22 first year secondary school students; Seven boys, 15 girls. The research design consists of five interviews before and five interviews after the implementation of an innovation running over three courses, created upon an analysis of the first interviews. Questions were grounded in a variety of topics: Their perception of the bathing issue, their bathing situation, physical facilities, body images and suggestions for an innovation.
Overall, the students found that their participation hadn’t changed throughout the time period. The results however show that their participation in bathing and changing changed through their reflections upon the issue. The male students remarked their respect for other presences in the changing room and shower facilities embracing the diversity of opinions. The female showed an increasing awareness about their use of smart-devices while in the changing rooms. Furthermore the implementation of music in the facilities seemed to have a positive effect on the mood in the changing rooms.
The students showed an awareness about bad influences on body images through media, even though they also showed signs of succumbing into it. Overall they believe extensional changes are required in order to fully change the effects of negative body images.