Physical Education, health and environment - a school subject for sustainable development
Short description
There are high expectations of what education in general can contribute with in relation to sustainability and education for sustainable as defined by the Agenda 2030, UN:s universal call and roadmap to meet the challenges that humanity and our planet are facing. However, a critical question is how sustainability can be understood and enacted within the field of PE and health.
The research project called “Physical educatiOn, health and SuStaInaBILITY” (POSSIBILITY) has recently been established at the Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, at Gothenburg University. The focus of the POSSIBILITY project is on how changes of perspectives around learning goals, processes, teaching, and content can bring in possible educative aspects of sustainability to be incorporated in school PE and health, and PE Teaching Training programs.
Project focus and contribution
The purpose of this strategic research and development initiative is to increase our knowledge of and possible contribution to education for sustainable development within the field of PE and health. It is also our position that Agenda 2030 and education for sustainability development may offer a new departure point (a possibility), a re-orientation of a school subject that has received critique for being a subject with a less inclusive learning environment and a focus on already sports active pupils. However, a critical question is how sustainability can be explored, understood, and enacted and how changes of perspectives around learning objectives, teaching and learning processes and content can bring in educative aspects of sustainability to be incorporated in school PE and health, and in PE teacher education programs.
The purpose of the POSSIBILITY project is to study pedagogical and didactic considerations that emerge as important to establish within the framework of PE and health teaching and learning practice with the goal to initiate and strengthen the integration of sustainable development. And accordingly, to increase knowledge of pedagogical and didactical strategies and content that can deepen the conversation about sustainability in order to make PE and health more relevant and inclusive. In doing so, focus is on PE and health in compulsory and upper secondary school, as well as PE teacher education.
Of interest in the project is how changes of perspectives around learning objectives and content can bring in aspects of sustainability to be incorporated in PE and health. The project will open up for the exploring of relevant and possible sustainability development goals through collaborative learning projects and practice-based studies.
Knowledge from these studies may develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values among both teachers and students, and make possible a re-orientation where quality education in PE and health can contribute to the Agenda 2030, and be a driving force for movement, health, environment, and a social just society.
Projects running
- Document analysis Swedish PE teacher education
- Document analysis of Swedish PE curricula for compulsory and upper secondary schools
- Collaborative Teaching Learning Project: PE and health – for sustainability (planning stage PhD project)
- Practice based studies (planning stage)
To be noted:
If you are interested in these topics, do not hesitate to contact us!