Research project How do we get children to want to move? It is a global challenge that many children’s levels of physical activity are decreasing – and this is also true in Sweden. The knowledge of what kind of movement education children need in school to reverse this trend of physical inactivity is still limited.
The aim of this research project is to examine the experiences, impacts, and development of current movement education activities in primary schools, delivered through the subject of Physical Education (PE), School-Age Educare (SAE) and initiatives offered by external organisations, such as the Swedish Sports Confederations (SSC) initiative ‘Rörelsesatsning i skolan’, which have the potential to address the behavioural challenges associated with children’s physical inactivity.
This study explores how different movement-related activities in schools – such as Physical Education lessons, activities in School-Age-Educare (Fritidshemmet), and the "Movement Initiative in Schools" (Rörelsesatsning i skolan) led by the sports movement – contribute to children’s physical literacy: their ability and motivation to be physically active throughout life.
These are some of the questions posed in this research project
Both researchers and practitioners are seeking practices and approaches that can support school children in adopting a physically active lifestyle over the long term (Eliasson, 2024; Godbout, 2023; Johannes et al., 2023). In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a global action plan on physical activity and advocated physical literacy (PL) as a key objective to create active societies and reduce the rise in childhood physical inactivity (WHO, 2018).
Durden-Myers and Keegan (2019) argue that physical literacy initiatives need to be embedded within a ‘whole-school’ approach. Therefore, this study examines the movement education provided to primary school children through PE, SAE and SSC, all operating within the school context.
The construct of physical literacy (PL) is grounded in a holistic approach and encompasses several key components: physical competencies, motivation, confidence, knowledge, and understanding —factors that together enable individuals to value and take responsibility for engaging in physical activity (Edwards et al 2017; Whitehead, 2010). However, PL is relatively underrecognized within the Swedish educational and research context, and Sweden appears to be lagging behind in this area.
This project will contribute new qualitative knowledge in line with the World Health Organization’s (2022) call for implementing “a whole-of-school approach to ensure quality physical education and physical activity opportunities” (p. 19). It will offer evidence-based implications for the practices of Physical Education (PE), School-Age Educare (SAE), and the Swedish Sports Confederation (SSC), and provide valuable insights into how children can develop greater physical literacy and become more physically active during their elementary school years.
