Socialt rättvis och inkluderande undervisning i idrott och hälsa

Syftet med den studie som ligger till grund för artikeln var att öka förståelsen för hur lärare i idrott och hälsa kan bedriva en inkluderande undervisning som kännetecknas av social rättvisa och där alla elever har möjlighet att delta och lyckas. Studien genomfördes inom ramen för ett internationellt samarbetsprojekt som undersökte hur lärare i idrott och hälsa hanterar frågor om inkludering, jämlikhet och social rättvisa i undervisningen. I denna artikel redovisas resultat från observationer av undervisning i idrott och hälsa i årskurs 7 till 9 i Sverige med tillhörande intervjuer av fem lärare i ämnet. Resultaten visar att lärarna använde sig av flera olika strategier kopplat till tre huvudteman: (1) skapa goda relationer med och mellan elever, (2) anpassningar för att utjämna ojämlikheter och (3) stötta de som behöver. Trots de goda exempel som lyfts i denna artikel, behöver undervisningspraktiker vidareutvecklas som inte bara hanterar utan även kan utmana och förändra rådande normer och värderingar i ämnet. ENGLISH: Socially just and inclusive teaching practices in physical education and health The purpose of the study that forms the basis of the article was to increase the understanding of how physical education and health teachers can teach in more inclusive and socially just ways. The study was carried out within the framework of an international collaborative project that examined how teachers of physical education and health handle issues of inclusion, equity and social justice in practice This article reports results from observations of physical education and health lessons in grades 7 to 9 in Sweden and follow-up interviews with five teachers in this subject. The results show that the teachers used several different strategies related to three main themes: (1) creating good relationships with and between students, (2) adaptations to equalise inequalities and (3) supporting those who need it. Despite the good examples highlighted in this article, teaching practices need to be further developed that not only deal with but can also challenge and change prevailing norms and values in the subject. Keywords: Physical education and health, Social justice, Inclusion, Equit

Social Justice Pedagogies in School Health and Physical Education – Building Relationships, Teaching for Social Cohesion and Addressing Social Inequities

A focus on equity and social justice in school health and physical education (HPE) is pertinent in an era where there are growing concerns about the impact of neoliberal globalization and the precariousness of society. The aim of the present study was to identify school HPE teaching practices that promote social justice and more equitable health outcomes. Data were generated through 20 HPE lesson observations and post-lesson interviews with 13 HPE teachers across schools in Sweden, Norway, and New Zealand. The data were analysed following the principles of thematic analysis. In this paper, we present and discuss findings related to three overall themes: (i) relationships; (ii) teaching for social cohesion; (iii) and explicitly teaching about, and acting on, social inequities. Collectively, these themes represent examples of the enactment of social justice pedagogies in HPE practice. To conclude, we point out the difficulty of enacting social justice pedagogies and that social justice pedagogies may not always transform structures nor make a uniform difference to all students. However, on the basis of our findings, we are reaffirmed in our view that HPE teachers can make a difference when it comes to contributing to more socially just and equitable outcomes in HPE and beyond.publishedVersio

Teaching for student and societal wellbeing in HPE: nine pedagogies for social justice

We currently find ourselves living in precarious times, with old and new social inequities on the rise due to the challenges associated with an unprecedented rise of global migration and neoliberalism, amplified in our post COVID-19 world. Research has demonstrated that there is a high correlation between inequality at the societal level and the overall health and wellbeing of individuals within those societies. We believe that school health and physical education (HPE) has a significant role to play in addressing and acting on social inequities that impact on the wellbeing of both students and society as a whole. Based on the findings of an international research project called EDUHEALTH which explored pedagogies for social justice in school health and physical education (HPE) across Sweden, Norway and New Zealand, this paper aims to highlight the addressing of (in)equality and student wellbeing through HPE practice. In particular, the paper presents nine different but complementary pedagogies for social justice that we believe can improve individual, collective, and societal wellbeing. We conclude by proposing that, if adopted across a whole school curriculum, these nine pedagogies for social justice could form the basis of a holistic school-wide community approach aimed at improving both student and societal wellbeing.publishedVersio

Taking action for social justice in HPE classrooms through explicit critical pedagogies.

Background: A focus on equity, democracy and social justice in HPE is pertinent in an era where there are growing concerns about the impact of neoliberal globalisation and precariousness of society (Kirk 2020). Although there is advocacy for teaching approaches in HPE that address issues of social justice, there is limited empirical research of teachers enacting critical pedagogies in HPE classrooms. Purpose: To identify school HPE teaching practices that promote social justice through practical enactment across three different participating countries. Participants and Setting: The investigation involved classroom observations of and post-lesson interviews with 13 purposively selected high school health and physical education teachers from three different countries. A total of 20 HPE lessons were observed. The participants included seven male and six female teachers ranging in age from 25 to 55 years with between 3- and 25-years teaching experience. The setting for data collection was compulsory co-educational practical HPE classes with 13-15-year-old students in four schools in New Zealand, four schools in Sweden and three schools in Norway. Data Collection and Analysis: This study employed Critical Incident Technique (CIT) methodology (Flanagan 1954), involving data collection through exploratory observations and stimulated-recall interviews (Lyle 2003). The classroom observations focused on identifying incidents that appeared to be addressing issues of social justice. The use of a multi-national observer team was a key principle of the study and was based on the proposition that local researchers familiar with context come with taken-for-granted assumptions about teachers’ practices. Data were analysed through a six-phase thematic analysis approach (Braun and Clarke 2013). This involved three stages: individually, collectively by the researchers in each country, and finally through the whole multi-national research team. Findings: The data analysis resulted in three primary themes; (1) relationships, (2) teaching for social cohesion, and (3) explicitly teaching about and acting on social inequities. This paper uses critical pedagogy as a lens to report on the third theme. In this paper, we present three subthemes; (1) Teaching as ‘equity not equality’, (2) promoting marginalised groups (3) and teacher critical reflection as examples of explicit critical pedagogies taking action for social justice in HPE. Conclusions/Implications: Although, the findings presented in this paper are examples of explicit teacher actions that aim to address social inequity, we suggest that teaching for social justice requires teachers to take action on social inequities and also to teach about social injustice to prepare students to become agents for change and act on social inequities themselves, beyond HPE.acceptedVersionacceptedVersio

The enactment of social justice in HPE practice: How context(s) comes to matter.

For more than 40 years, health and physical education (HPE) academics in universities and teacher education colleges have drawn attention to issues of social justice specific to the context of PE and advocated for teachers in fields, gymnasiums and other physical activity spaces to do a better job of promoting more equitable outcomes for all students. Building on this advocacy, in the late 1990s, countries such as Sweden, Norway and New Zealand designed HPE curricula that address social justice. However, limited research has focused specifically on the enactment of social justice in HPE practice. Drawing on a larger international project involving Sweden, Norway and New Zealand the aim of this article is therefore to explore the constitution of social justice pedagogies across these three different HPE contexts and more specifically how HPE teaching practice may be understood from regulative, normative and cultural perspectives on social justice. The data reported on in this paper were generated from educational acts, curriculum documents, observations of HPE lessons in each of the three countries and follow-up teacher interviews. In order to analyse the data, we employed Scott’s (2008. Institutions and organizations: Ideas and interests (3rd ed). Sage) institutional theory to further understand and discuss the enactment of social justice across the three different countries in HPE practice. In our representation and analysis of the findings we draw attention to how social justice pedagogies are informed differently by institutionalised governing systems and therefore they may be enacted differently by teachers in different societies. In particular, we highlight the influence of (i) regulative; (ii) normative; (iii) cultural-cognitive elements on practice. We conclude by pointing out the complex interplay between regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive elements that both enable and constrain HPE teachers’ enactments of social justice in HPE practice.publishedVersio

Caring teaching and the complexity of building good relationships as pedagogies for social justice in health and physical education

The Health and Physical Education (HPE) profession has increasingly advocated for caring teacher-student relationships. In this paper, we draw on data from an international research project called ‘EDUHEALTH’ [Education for Equitable Health Outcomes – The Promise of School Health and Physical Education] to explore caring teaching and the complexity of building good relationships as pedagogies for social justice in HPE. The data reported on in this paper were generated through 20 HPE lesson observations and interviews with 13 HPE teachers across schools in Sweden, Norway and New Zealand. In our analysis of the data, we employed Nel Noddings ‘Care Theory’ [(1984. Caring, a feminine approach to ethics & moral education. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press; 1997). Pedagogisk filosofi [Philosophy of education]. Oslo: Ad Notam Gyldendal] to study the constitution of relationships and caring teaching in HPE practice. The findings demonstrate that caring teaching is inevitably built on developing good relationships, and that developing such good relationships is a complex process influenced by three key elements. First, teachers have to develop knowledge about their students on a societal, group and personal level; second, teachers have to reflect on the individual, environmental and relational aspects required for building good relationships; and third, teachers have to implement caring teaching strategies, such as planning, caring actions and doing ‘the little things’. Drawing on Nodding’s care theory, we conclude that pedagogies for social justice are enacted when teachers use their own knowledge and knowledge about the students, together with reflection and caring teaching strategies, to arrange a learning environment that promotes inclusion and equitable outcomes for all students.publishedVersio

School HPE: its mandate, responsibility and role in educating for social cohesion.

In a world of increasing diversity in which many established democracies are now consumed by capitalist individualism and protectionist ideals, a focus on equity and social justice is particularly pertinent. For many years, scholars have proposed that schools have the educational responsibility to prepare children for peaceful living in a heterogeneous society and claimed that health and physical education (HPE) activities at school can enhance interpersonal relations, and social cohesion. This paper explores the definition of social cohesion, as well as theories that support its inclusion in school practices before drawing on observational and interview data from of an international project that reveal how HPE teachers across three different countries teach for social cohesion. In our analysis of the data, we employ Allport’s ‘Contact Theory’ (1954) and Pettigrew’s (1998) extension of this theory to conceptualise and interpret the teaching for social cohesion in HPE practice. Within the overarching theme of teaching for social cohesion we present and discuss five sub-themes as examples of the teachers’ pedagogies: (1) a focus on inclusiveness; (2) the inclusion of culturally inclusive practices; (3) building teacher/student and student/student relationships; (4) planning and structuring activities for students to work together in heterogeneous teams while focusing on cooperation; and (5) focusing on personal and social responsibility by encouraging adherence to the principles of fair play and democratically determined rules. We conclude by stating that HPE should be recognised for its role in creating opportunities for constructive social interaction between students of difference, which can contribute to greater inclusion, social cohesion and ultimately social justice in society.publishedVersio

Researching social justice and health (in)equality across different school Health and Physical Education contexts in Sweden, Norway and New Zealand

The way school Health and Physical Education (HPE) is conceptualized and taught will impact on its ability to provide equitable outcomes across gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion and social class. A focus on social justice in HPE is pertinent in times when these ideals are currently under threat from neoliberal globalization. This paper draws on data from the initial year of an international collaboration project called ‘Education for Equitable Health Outcomes – The Promise of School Health and Physical Education’ involving HPE and Physical Education Teacher Education researchers from Sweden, Norway and New Zealand. The data in this paper record the researchers’ presentations and discussions about issues of social justice and health as informed by school visits and interviews with HPE teachers in the three different countries. The analysis of the data is focused on what is addressed in the name of social justice in each of the three countries and how cross-cultural researchers of social justice in HPE interpret different contexts. In order to analyse the data, we draw on Michael Uljens’s concepts of non-affirmative and non-hierarchical education. The findings suggest that researching social justice and health (in)equality across different countries offers both opportunities and challenges when it comes to understanding the enactment of social justice in school and HPE practices. We conclude by drawing on Uljens to assert that the quest for social justice in HPE should focus on further problematizing affirmative and hierarchical educational practices since social justice teaching strategies are enabled and constrained by the contexts in which they are practised.Researching social justice and health (in)equality across different school Health and Physical Education contexts in Sweden, Norway and New ZealandpublishedVersio

Health Effects of Airborne Exposures from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

Toxic gases, vapors, and particles are emitted from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) into the general environment. These include ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, malodorous vapors, and particles contaminated with a wide range of microorganisms. Little is known about the health risks of exposure to these agents for people living in the surrounding areas. Malodor is one of the predominant concerns, and there is evidence that psychophysiologic changes may occur as a result of exposure to malodorous compounds. There is a paucity of data regarding community adverse health effects related to low-level gas and particulate emissions. Most information comes from studies among workers in CAFO installations. Research over the last decades has shown that microbial exposures, especially endotoxin exposure, are related to deleterious respiratory health effects, of which cross-shift lung function decline and accelerated decline over time are the most pronounced effects. Studies in naïve subjects and workers have shown respiratory inflammatory responses related to the microbial load. This working group, which was part of the Conference on Environmental Health Impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: Anticipating Hazards—Searching for Solutions, concluded that there is a great need to evaluate health effects from exposures to the toxic gases, vapors, and particles emitted into the general environment by CAFOs. Research should focus not only on nuisance and odors but also on potential health effects from microbial exposures, concentrating on susceptible subgroups, especially asthmatic children and the elderly, since these exposures have been shown to be related to respiratory health effects among workers in CAFOs

Ämnesspråk i skolämnet Idrott och hälsa : En analys av begrepp och begreppsrelationer

Flera idrottsforskare understryker språkets roll i undervisning i skolämnet Idrott och hälsa (Larsson & Karlefors, 2015; Nyberg & Larsson, 2014; Schenker et al., 2019), och ämnesspråket har påståtts vara svagt inte minst i de delar som hör samman med hälsa (Redelius et al., 2009; Schenker, 2018). I denna artikel presenteras resultaten av en pilotstudie av ämnesspråket i skolämnet Idrott och hälsa som det framställs i fyra läromedel. Vi har genomfört en semantisk analys (Holm, 2018; Saeed, 2014; Zimmermann & Sternefeld, 2013) av centrala begrepp i läromedlen och kompletterat denna med en terminologisk analys (Nuopponen & Pilke, 2016) för att identifiera såväl semantiska nätverk som begreppshierarkier som hör samman med idrott- respektive hälsa-delen av ämnet. Resultaten av vår undersökning visar att ämnesspråket i ämnet generellt är svagt men framför allt att det är svagare för hälsa-delen än idrott-delen; de begrepp som hör samman med idrott är mer specifika, konkreta och grafiskt längre än de som hör samman med hälsa och hör tydligare samman med varandra i semantiska nätverk. Därtill är de begrepp som hör samman med idrott i större utsträckning underbegrepp (hyponymer), medan de begrepp som hör samman med hälsa i större utsträckning är överbegrepp (hyperonymer). Resultatet är viktigt eftersom bristen på ett för ämnet gemensamt och starkt ämnesspråk dels gör bedömningen av elevernas prestationer i Idrott och hälsa osäker och subjektiv, dels ger upphov till stor variation i innehållet i ämnet. Resultaten kan utgöra en vetenskaplig grund för diskussioner om konsekvenser och didaktiska implikationer av förekomst och användning av ämnesspråk eller icke-ämnesspråk i ämnet