Abstract
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.
Highlights
School health and physical education (HPE) has the potential to support young people’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development [1,2] and contribute to them being/becoming physically active and healthy [3]
These themes represent the enactment of the social justice pedagogies that we identified in our project
The themes are purposely presented in this order because we believe that in most classrooms building relationships precedes or occurs concurrently with teaching for social cohesion, providing foundations that enable explicit teaching about and acting on social inequities in HPE practice
Summary
School health and physical education (HPE) has the potential to support young people’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development [1,2] and contribute to them being/becoming physically active and healthy [3]. Education policy statements by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) [4] affirm our view that school HPE is linked to the education of “healthy” citizens and the development of physically active and healthy lifestyles that contribute to ongoing positive societal health outcomes. Our understanding of what it means to be “physically active” and “healthy” is under constant (re)negotiation. In line with this special issue, recent decades have seen HPE curricula (in some countries) move away from the predominance of a scientific/physiological examination and explanation of physical activity, health, and the body to a more. Public Health 2020, 17, 6904; doi:10.3390/ijerph17186904 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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