Claes Annerstedt

What did they learn in school today? A method for exploring aspects of learning in physical education

This paper outlines a method for exploring learning in educational practice. The suggested method combines an explicit learning theory with robust methodological steps in order to explore aspects of learning in school physical education. The design of the study is based on sociocultural learning theory, and the approach adds to previous research within the field, both in terms of the combination of methods used and the claims made in our studies. The paper describes a way of collecting and analysing the retrieved data and discusses and illustrates the results of a study using this combination of explicit learning theory and robust methodological steps.

Inter-student interactions and student learning in Health and Physical Education : A post-Vygotskian analysis

Background: Group work is often used in Physical Education (and Health – HPE). In this paper, we propose that despite: (1) its widespread use; (2) advances surrounding HPE models that utilize group strategies; and (3) a significant amount of literature dealing with group work in other school subjects, we do not have a particularly good theoretical understanding of group learning in HPE. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose one way of conceptualizing individual learning in peer interaction based on three tenets of post-Vygotskian theory that relate to the zone of proximal development (ZPD); namely that in learning situations: (i) group members engage in shared communication; (ii) expert–novice relationships can develop and change during group activities and (iii) constructing knowledge can be thought of as reaching agreement. Participants and setting: Empirical material was generated with eight different HPE classes in lower and upper secondary schools in Sweden. Schools were selected in a way that maximized variation and were distributed across four geographic locations with varying sizes and types of communities. Data collection: Observational material was produced at each of the sites with the use of two cameras: one stationary and the other mobile. Stationary filming maintained a wide-angled focus and captured the entire class. Mobile filming focused on different groups working within the classes. During mobile filming, between two and five students were generally in the frame and filming was directed at sequences in which a group of students worked together on a specific task. Data analysis: Analysis of the data focused on two kinds of incidents. The first comprised a sequence in which two or more students were interacting to complete a task which they could not immediately do and were engaged in collective signification by talking about or doing the activity in mutually compatible ways. These conditions were sufficient in our view to signal the creation of a ZPD. The second kind of incident fulfilled the first criteria but not the second – i.e. the students were interacting but not in mutually compatible ways. Findings: A post-Vygotskian interpretation of three group work sequences draws attention to: (i) the flexible and fluid nature of ‘expertness’ as it exists within groups; (ii) the unpredictable nature of member interactions and (iii) the challenging role that teachers occupy while trying to facilitate group work. Conclusion: Such an interpretation contributes to a growing understanding of group work and helps HPE practitioners to make the most of a teaching strategy which is already used widely in schools.

Learning through group work in physical education: a symbolic interactionist approach

In line with contemporary constructivist pedagogies, students are frequently expected to learn through interaction in physical education (PE). There is a relatively sophisticated body of literature focusing on learning in groups, peer teaching, and cooperative learning. Current research has not, however, focused on how the body is implicated in interactional learning. This is surprising given that much learning in PE is expected to take place in the physical domain. The aim of this paper is to contribute to current theorizing by examining social interactions in PE practice. By drawing on symbolic interactionist theory, we put forward a framework for considering how inter-student interactions occur in a multimodal sense. Key ideas relate to (1) the sequential organization of interactions; (2) the ways in which semiotic resources in different fields are used to elaborate each other; (3) the importance of interpretation as a driver of interaction; (4) the creation of local environments in which participants attend to and work together within a shared world of perception; and (5) the influence of material environments on social interaction. The specific concepts employed are epistemic ecology, epistemic position, and learning trajectory. The paper includes observational data from an investigation of learning in Swedish PE to demonstrate the explanatory power and limitations of the theoretical tenets presented. The paper is concluded with practical implications of understanding group work in a multimodal manner.

Caring as an important foundation in coaching for social sustainability: a case study of a successful Swedish coach inhigh-performance sport

The aim of this study is to describe and analyze the experiences and strategies of one successful coach in high-performance sports. Through case study methodology we have studied Bengt Johansson, one of the most successful coaches in Sweden ever. From the perspective of social sustainability, caring seems to have constituted an important basis for coaching the Swedish national team in handball during Bengt Johansson′s years as head coach. Caring in this sense means to respect the players, value them, involve them, have dialogue with them, listen to them and support them as human beings. Johansson has demonstrated how competitiveness, dedication and hard work coexist alongside compassion, empathy, participation and caring.

Techno-rational knowing and phronesis: the professional practice of one middle-distance running coach

Sport coaching has traditionally been seen as a techno-rational activity. In recent years, there has been a ‘subjective turn’. Intuitive, as well as situation-specific interpretations are today perceived as necessary to handle complex, dynamic and often unpredictable sport environments. While a considerable body of research has attempted to understand coaching practice, research on intuitive and situation-dependent praxis is only emerging. Phronesis ‒ mostly defined as practical wisdom or practical rationality ‒ has been put forward as a useful theoretical concept to frame such coaching practice. In this contribution, we employ phronesis as part of sustainability science to consider the coaching of one top-level middle-distance running coach. Observations, informal talks and semi-structured interviews produced the empirical materials for this analysis. The results suggest that the coach’s practice was guided by both techno-rational and phronetic knowledge. While techno-rational knowledge manifested itself in a focus on time and control, the latter was reflected in a concern for impact, focus on community, authenticity and modesty. From a phronetic perspective, these characteristics can be seen as morally just and important precursors for sustainable sport.

‘The grade alone provides no learning’: investigating assessment literacy among Norwegian physical education teachers

ABSTRACT This paper explores the four inter-dependent elements of assessment literacy proposed by Hay and Penney [(2013). Assessment in physical education. A sociocultural perspective. New York: Routledge] – assessment comprehension, assessment application, assessment interpretation and critical engagement with assessment. More specific, the study reported in this paper addresses how Norwegian physical education teachers reflected assessment literacy in descriptions and discussions of their assessment practice. Twenty-three physical education teachers from six upper secondary schools in Norway participated in focus groups. Analysis and discussion are informed by the four elements of assessment literacy. Findings demonstrate a general need to enhance assessment literacy among the teachers, with particular focus on dialogue with students and critical engagement with assessment. Acknowledging assessment literacy as an ongoing process, the study suggests that it may be more effective to consider ‘preconditions’ than ‘elements’ of assessment literacy for a physical education teacher to be considered as acting assessment literate.

“The individual at the centre” – a grounded theory explaining how sport clubs retain young adults

ABSTRACT Purpose: There is still a lack of knowledge regarding which social processes occur in sport clubs and what factors influence young adults to want to remain in a sport club context. Thus, the purpose of this study was to construct a grounded theory (GT) explaining how sport clubs can retain their young adults. Method: The study uses an intersectional approach. In line with constructivist GT methodology, data from 14 focus-group interviews (27 coaches and 28 young adults) were collected and analysed using a constant comparative method. Results: The core category, “The individual at the centre of a community”, summarizes a process, whereby the generated GT contains three main categories, namely (1) “Participation and influence”, (2) “Social connectedness” and (3) “Good conditions”. Conclusions: The coaches put the individual at the centre of a community and pay attention to the needs and interests of all the young adults, regardless of their background, ambitions, and skills. However, while the idea of a moral imperative to provide for diversity was not directly absent in the discussions with both the coaches and young adults, most of the diversity approaches seemed to be based on ambition and skills, gender, age and sexuality.