Magnus Ferry

School sport in Sweden: what is it, and how did it come to be?

The Swedish sports model has traditionally meant that schools are responsible for all childrens and young peoples physical education, while the sports movement is responsible for the voluntary training and competition in sport. In recent years, this model seems to have changed since schools increasingly offers training in sports during the school day, school sport. This article describes the development of the Swedish school sport system in relation to major school reforms during the last three decades; reforms that have meant that the school system has been decentralized and market-adapted. This article also argues that sport under the period has gained a new meaning for schools. The main conclusions are that societal changes have enabled the sports movement an increased influence on school sport and that the Swedish sports model has changed. In particular, the ideological distinction between school physical education and voluntary competitive sport has been challenged.

Pupils in upper secondary school sports: choices based on what?

ABSTRACT In the fields of both education and sport, the possession of capital and habitus influences an individual’s lifestyles and choices, which in turn affects the social selection within these fields. In this article, we will study the Swedish system of school sports as an overlap between the fields of education and sport, and thus viewed as a double dominated field. From a cultural sociological perspective, the purpose of this article is to analyse and explain how the organisational conditions and pupils’ social characteristics interact with upper secondary pupils’ choices of different school sports programmes in Sweden. Based on registry data on secondary school sports pupils, the results show that the supply of school sports requires specific forms of social dispositions that have an impact on which categories of pupils choose to participate. Among the students participating in school sports, there is a higher proportion of pupils who: are of Swedish origin (p < 0.05), are boys (p < 0.05), attend academic study programmes (p < 0.05), and have parents with high educational capital (p < 0.05). Furthermore, based on 677 pupils’ questionnaire responses, collected through two studies on school sports in Sweden, the results show that the choice between different types of school sports programmes is related to the intersection between pupils’ sex and possession of educational and sporting capital. One important conclusion is that the overlap between the fields of education and sports exacerbates gender and class biases, and that the supply of school sports in Sweden appeals to a narrow or rather specific taste for sport and education, particularly favouring boys with highly educated parents and an interest in team sports.

School sports is the solution: What is the problem?

Abstract Since the late 1980s, the Swedish education system has undergone major changes that resulted in the school system being decentralised, market adjusted, and privatised. This has created local, quasi-markets in which there is a constant struggle for pupils. During the same period, the presence of school sports has increased significantly. The aim of this paper is to elucidate the reasons why schools have chosen to specialise in sports and to determine what makes sports so viable for schools. As an empirical foundation for the study, telephone interviews with principals at 50 selected schools offering school sports were conducted. The results show that the principals experienced increased competition in the local school market, and following Bourdieu’s concept of capital, that school sports fill an important need for schools because they bring different forms of important and necessary capital. Furthermore, school sports are valuable due to the diversity and the various meanings and values that society associates with sports. This article shows that a side effect of the market adaptation of the Swedish school system is that school sports have evolved into a marketing product for recruiting pupils.

Physical education preservice teachers’ perceptions of the subject and profession: development during 2005–2016

ABSTRACT Background: During the socialization process when becoming a physical education (PE) teacher, the knowledge, perceptions and expectations of what it means to work as a teacher are developed. In this socialization, the initial acculturation phase is shown to be of the most importance, since individual PE teachers’ experiences during this phase are shown to have a long-lasting influence on their approach to and perception of the subject and the profession. Furthermore, research shows that most physical education teacher education (PETE) programmes are ineffective in altering these initial perceptions and beliefs during the programme. This inertia to change may resemble Bourdieu’s concept of habitus. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyse the background of PE preservice teacher students (PSTs) and examine their embodied perceptions and beliefs related to the subject and profession when they enrol. Specifically, the study focuses on their background characteristics, perceptions of PE and PE teachers, and whether their background and perceptions changed between 2005 and 2016. Method: This study draws on a web-based questionnaire completed by 224 students (90 women and 134 men) enrolled in the PETE programme at a major university in Sweden between 2005 and 2016. The questionnaire used in this study addressed the PSTs’ experiences, views, beliefs and perceptions of PE and the PE profession, and it was completed during the first semester of respective students’ PE subject studies. Findings: PE PSTs are a homogeneous group of students with similar backgrounds, experiences and perceptions of PE and their future profession as PE teachers. Participants suggested that important characteristics for a good PE teacher include possessing subject knowledge, having pedagogical competence and being considerate. A good PE lesson should be fun and inspiring, consist of physical activity and be adapted to all. Important goals for PE are to develop pupils’ character and promote healthy behaviours. The PSTs’ background characteristics and perceptions do not seem to have changed during the studied period, in spite of the fact that the structure of the PETE programme did change. Conclusions: The homogeneous background among PSTs, with vast experience of sport and physical activity, implies that they will interact and engage with students with similar backgrounds and perceptions (i.e. habitus) during PETE. This may limit the potential influence of PETE and fail to prepare PSTs for the demands of their future profession. However, if the influences of acculturation were accounted for during PETE, the programmes could be better designed and better prepare PSTs for their future profession.

Athletic ability in childhood and adolescence as a predictor of participation in non-elite sports in young adulthood

Abstract In this article, we contribute to the discussion on factors affecting adult participation in organized sport. To this end, we examine whether explanations regarding sport expertise can also add to the understanding of non-elite-level sport participation in young adulthood. Results from questionnaires (n = 572) revealed that date of birth and early sport debut positively correlated to strong sport performance during childhood, which, in turn, were correlated to strong sport performance and being selected for talent groups during adolescence. Finally, strong sport performance during adolescence was positively correlated to sports club membership as young adults. As relative age effects seem to remain throughout childhood and adolescence, we conclude that the underlying variable that affects the selection process and sport participation in young adulthood is date of birth. The results indicate that being active in sport as young adults is contingent on sport-specific variables previously not investigated in research on sport participation.

Teachers in school sports: between the fields of education and sport?

According to the cultural sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, gaining access to a social space or a position within a social space requires a specific capital. For teachers, this is normally indicated by a valid teaching certificate with relevant subject knowledge. However, when no qualified teachers are available, which is the case for the subject of school sports in Sweden, other assets gain recognition. Drawing on Bourdieus conceptual framework, this paper examined the conditions for school sports in Sweden, and based on questionnaires answered by 109 teachers, explored the competencies, education and backgrounds teachers in upper secondary school sports possess. The paper address the question: what valuable resources are required to become a teacher of school sports and gain recognition as symbolic capital? The results show that while school sports in Sweden are carried out through a school subject and thus regulated by the government, it is influenced by both the fields of education and sport. Furthermore, the questionnaire results show that a majority of the teachers are employed as coaches instead of teachers and that less than half of them (45%) have a teacher education background, while 95% have a coaching education background. However, the results also show that teachers assessed their competencies for teaching school sports as high, especially with regard to competencies in specific sport skills. In conclusion, this paper shows how coaching education and experience in competitive sports are an important resource required to become a teacher in school sports and is thus recognized as symbolic capital. Therefore, school sports cannot be viewed as a legitimate part of the field of education but can be viewed as a part of the field of sport.