ERIC Number: EJ1441738
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1357-3322
EISSN: EISSN-1470-1243
'You Don't Want to Do Things Alone': Children in Low to Middle Schools Talk about Physical Activity during Recess Time
Eric Svanelöv
Sport, Education and Society, v29 n8 p952-965 2024
Many children nowadays do not meet the recommended amount of physical activity during a day and are more sedentary, which is accompanied by decreased physical and social health, and well-being. For some children, the school can be the only outlet for playful and organised physical activity. Almost all children attend school for a large part of their day, which makes school an important context for fostering positive attitudes towards physical activity. The purpose of this study was to explore how children in low to middle school talk about physical activity during recess time. A total of 18 students were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. The results show that physical activity during recess is talked about as forming social groups and community and a way to counteract loneliness. There are also contextual categories and behavioural codes in children's talk about physical activity that shape their tendency to participate, be admitted in, and denied from physical activity during recess. The results highlight the power of language and how it can position and shape children's relationship with, and expected outcome of, physical activity. Conclusively, the study shows that physical activity affects children's social well-being and identity construction.
Descriptors: Elementary School Students, Middle School Students, Physical Activity Level, Recess Breaks, Student Attitudes, Psychological Patterns, Social Isolation, Student Participation, Well Being, Self Concept, Foreign Countries, Peer Influence, Health Behavior, Peer Relationship
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sweden
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A