Burning the Book: A Biographical Study of a Pedagogically Inspired Identity Crisis in Physical Education

This paper focuses upon a fateful moment in the life of a Spanish student of physical education called Guillem (a pseudonym) in which the reading of a particular text as part of his course requirements instigated a powerful identity crisis. Biographical data are provided to contextualize the crisis and the impact it had on the life of this student. Next, the strategies used by Guillem to resolve his identity crisis are considered and the problems of self-change are highlighted. Finally, attention is given to the implications of this case for those who seek to engage in critical forms of pedagogy.