Att ge mening till de som saknar mening : En intervjustudie om hur lärare i idrott och hälsa inom gymnasieskolan resonerar kring och arbetar med elever som väljer att inte delta

Sammanfattning

Background: In physical education within upper secondary school, it is today common that students choose not to participate in physical activities during lessons. Research shows that this is not solely an individual choice, but can be linked to previous negative experiences, fear of being exposed, and the design of the teaching. Aim of the study: The aim of the study is to investigate how teacher ́s reason about and work with students who choose not to participate in physical activities in physical education within upper secondary school. Method: The study is qualitative in its nature and uses semi-structured interviews as the data collection method. Six different upper secondary school teachers were interviewed, and the material was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns. Results: The results show that the choice students are making when they decide to sit on the bench instead of participating, can be explained by previous negative experiences, low self- esteem, fear of being visible, and group dynamics. It further emerges that teachers work with relationship-building and meaning-making as strategies to promote participation. Activities described as particularly beneficial for participation involve lower performance pressure, fewer competitive elements, less visibility, and greater student influence. Discussion: In the discussion, the results are interpreted and problematized with the help of previous research and the theoretical concepts of habitus, capital, and field. The interpretation is that students choice not to participate is a product of previous experiences, norms, unwritten rules, and structures within physical education teaching. The analysis highlights how unequal conditions tend to be reproduced, often unconsciously, by teachers. At the same time, these conditions can be challenged if teachers become more aware of how their own experiences and the norms they have grown up with, influence their teaching.