This article explores the different ways in which a dance exergame can be used to teach dance in upper secondary school physical education. Particular attention is paid to the learning processes that students are involved in when the dance game is used as a teaching resource. A socio-cultural perspective on learning constitutes the analytical…

Research shows that teachers' grading is influenced by non-achievement factors in addition to official criteria, such as knowledge and skills. Some grading criteria are internalised by the teacher, who is sometimes unable to verbalise the criteria used and refers to what is called a "gut feeling". Therefore, transparency, validity and…

The question of what knowledge a student of Physical Education (PE) needs to develop during PE teacher education (PETE) was recently discussed. One form of knowledge is the movement practices that students must meet during their education. Given the limited time, a delicate matter is whether to prioritize movement knowledge and consider it as…

The use of educational computer games in physical education (PE) has become more popular in recent years and has attracted research interest. The aim of the article is to investigate how physical activities and images of the human body are offered by the game. The results show how the "teacher" constituted in the games is one who…

This article deals with the implications of assessment for learning (AfL) in upper secondary physical education and health (PEH). Inspired by the research field that emanates from the concept of governmentality, the study is concerned with how AfL guides teachers' and students' actions in certain directions. Based on teachers' descriptions of how…

Group work is used in physical education (PE) to encourage student-directed, collaborative learning. Aligned with this aim, group work is expected to shift some power from teacher to students and enable students to make decisions and co-construct meaning on their own. There are, however, very few investigations focusing on power in group work…

Background: Physical Education (PE) has been associated with a multi-activity model in which movement is related to sport discourses and sport techniques. However, as in many international contexts, the Swedish national PE syllabus calls for a wider and more inclusive concept of movement. Complex movement adapted to different settings is valued,…

Background: For many years, scholars in Physical Education Teacher Educator (PETE) have argued for the importance of educating pre-service teachers (PSTs) about equality (e.g. Evans, J. 1990. "Defining a Subject: The Rise and Rise of the New Physical Education?" "British Journal of Sociology of Education" 11: 155-169),…

"Physical Education and Health: Global Perspectives and Best Practice" draws together global scholars, researchers, and practitioners to provide a review and analysis of new directions in physical education and health worldwide. The book provides descriptive information from 40 countries regarding contemporary practices, models, and…

The purpose of this article is to develop a method of approach that can be used to explore the meaning and use of artifacts in education by applying a socio-cultural perspective to learning and artifacts. An empirical material of video recorded physical education lessons in Sweden is used to illustrate the approach in terms of how artifacts in…

Dance has been a part of the physical education (PE) curriculum in several countries for a long time. In spite of this, studies demonstrate that the position of dance in the subject of PE is contested and that little time is devoted to dance. The overall aim of this article is to examine the position of dance as a pedagogical discourse in Swedish…

During the 1990s, neoliberal reforms in Sweden increased local school actors' possibilities to develop school profiles regarding both organization and content. This restructuring has increased the total number of school sports programs as well as the possibilities for upper secondary schools and sports clubs to develop elite and amateur sports on…

In a significant article from 1993, Crum describes the purpose of physical education (PE) as a "planned introduction into movement culture". In broad terms, this purpose is tantamount to the stated purpose of Swedish PE in national steering documents. Crum contends, however, that physical educators do not prioritise learning, which is…

In this article we try to think in new ways about the educational relevance of physical exercise at school, revisiting a concrete practice that is mostly seen as superseded, namely Swedish gymnastics. A phenomenological analysis of this "forgotten" discipline will show that physical education might be taken in a very literal sense as the…

During the last decade, expanding research investigating the school subject Physical Education (PE) indicates a promotion of inequalities regarding which children benefit from PE teaching. Outdoor education and its Scandinavian equivalent "friluftsliv," is a part of the PE curriculum in many countries, and these practices have been…