The aim of this article is to advance knowledge on how mindfulness and meditation are understood in the educational system, an important yet under-explored context for these phenomena in Sweden and internationally. This is done by means of an exploratory and qualitative study of how mindfulness and meditation are constructed in Swedish textbooks for Religious Education (RE) and Physical Education and Health (PEH), analysing how these concepts are situated and transformed. Though ostensibly two very different subjects, RE and PEH are both mandatory throughout Swedish compulsory school and are included in all national upper-secondary school programmes. The topic of mindfulness and meditation provides a conceptual overlap between PEH and RE, and is presented in differing and contradictory ways in textbooks for the respective subjects. In RE textbooks, mindfulness and meditation are presented in the context of Buddhism and contemporary spirituality, while in PEH the practices are understood as stress management. This presents didactical challenges for teachers, but teaching on mindfulness and meditation also provides opportunities for synergy and curriculum cohesion.

Contribution

Play, artistic expression, and creative learning are integral to early childhood education globally. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the right to express themselves freely, which includes engaging with artistic forms such as dance (UNICEF, 2019). Dance, as an art form that involves bodily movement, plays a crucial role in fostering children’s development, emotional well-being, and communication skills (Svendler Nielsen & Burridge, 2015). Several studies show that expect bodily movement there are other important aspects in dance education. Meiner and Garett (2015) argue that dance education can contribute to social justice and cultural change. Core aspects in dance education are sensing the own body and embodied meetings with others, and Stinson (2015) claims that children participating in dance can develop critical thinking. Despite its significance, dance is often marginalized in educational contexts (Svendler et al., 2023). Pastorek Gripson, Lindqvist, and Østern (2022) point out that many preschool teachers lack the necessary dance skills, limiting their ability to provide meaningful dance education. As a result, dance is often reduced to imitation or free movement to music, without a clear educational objective. In another educational context, in school-age educare, educators often use digital tools to organize dance activities. The children enjoy dancing by imitating and reproducing movements from computer games, but there is little focus on learning (Mattsson & Pastorek Gripson, 2024). For pre-school teachers to have better conditions to teach children dance, they need to gain sufficient competences in pre-school teacher education.

However, dance education appears to remain scarce in Swedish preschool teacher training programs. A study by Pastorek Gripson, Mattsson, and Andersson (2021) revealed that only five out of twelve universities offering preschool teacher training in Sweden included dance in their curricula, with only two requiring examinations in dance. The absence of mentioning of the body and dance in preschool teacher training syllabi indicates that future preschool teachers may not have sufficient competences in and about poetic, bodily learning, in dance. Even if the preschool teacher training offers courses that include aesthetics, it is not uncommon that the same course will embrace several aesthetic subjects. According to Lindqvist (2019) there is a risk that learning outcomes in these courses become fragmented. The content within the preschool teacher training that include aesthetic subjects and knowledge that is expressed through performance can be challenging to articulate because knowledge tends to be tacit. Despite the marginalization of dance education in preschool teacher training, dance may enhance creativity, aesthetic sensibility, critical thinking, and cultural awareness among future educators (Oliver-Barcelo, Ferrer-Ribot & Jové, 2024). It may therefore be important for preschool teacher training to offer opportunities for students to engage with dance, develop their own bodily communication, and gain a deeper understanding of its educational potential. This, in turn, would empower future educators to foster children’s self-expression through movement and participation in aesthetic learning experiences.

The aim of this paper is to explore and analyze university teachers' experiences of dance education in preschool teacher training.

The research question guiding this study is:(Q1) What opportunities and challenges do university teachers experience in dance education in preschool teacher training at three universities in Sweden?

Method

This study is grounded in life-world phenomenology, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of body, mind, and soul as an indivisible whole (Merleau-Ponty, 1962/2002). Within dance education, embodied practical knowledge and communication are highlighted more than in other subjects (Engel, 2004). The study explores dance as a form of embodied learning, emphasizing the role of the body in transmitting knowledge and experiences (Fraleigh, 1987, Parviainen, 2003). Observations and interviews with three university teachers from different Swedish universities offering preschool teacher training that includes dance education were conducted. The selection was based on an earlier study by Pastorek Gripson, Mattsson, and Andersson (2021) and three universities that offer dance in preschool teacher training are included in the study. The material was collected through in-depth observations of dance classes and interviews with the dance educators, allowing us to gain insights into their lived experiences. The three participants are all experienced dance educators with extensive backgrounds in teaching dance within the context of preschool teacher training. The participants were informed about the study prior to the observations and interviews, and they were provided with an information letter and a consent form to review. They expressed their consent to take part in the observations and interviews by signing the content form. The study follows the Swedish Research Council’s guiding principles for social science research (Swedish Research Council 2017). To analyze the data, we began with a naïve reading of the material to identify emerging themes and gain an initial understanding of the phenomenon. This was followed by a structural analysis aimed at pinpointing key aspects of the teachers' experiences. The analysis process was iterative, moving back and forth between detailed examination of specific excerpts and rereading the material as a whole. This approach allowed us to identify commonalities and differences in the teachers' experiences and to conceptualize the essence of the phenomenon. The resulting themes were then examined in relation to the research questions and the context of the study.

Expected Outcomes

The university teachers in this study report that dance often remains invisible in the curriculum, despite their belief in its potential. These teachers are highly experienced in dance education but feel that their role in the broader curriculum is limited. One of the key challenges they face is the lack of prior dance experience among preschool teacher students, which creates a gap that the educators must work to bridge. This gap often leads to stress and insecurity for both students and teachers. The teachers also note a reduction in the amount of time allocated to dance education in recent years, which further limits the opportunities for meaningful engagement with dance. Despite these constraints, they see significant opportunities in dance education in preschool teacher training. They emphasize that dance allows students to explore embodiment and communication, providing a unique tool for engaging with aesthetic forms of expression. The educators stress the importance of helping students feel confident in their own movement and develop the skills necessary to teach dance to young children. Another challenge identified in the study is the part-time nature of many dance teaching positions, which complicates collaboration with other faculty members in preschool teacher training. To enhance the inclusion of dance education in preschool teacher training, the study suggests that structural changes are needed, including strengthening the presence of dance education in curricula and ensuring better resource allocation to support this area of education.

References

Engel, L. (2004). The somaesthetic dimension of dance and education – a phenomenological and aesthetic analysis of problem of creativity in dance. Ethics and politics embodied in dance, 50. Fraleigh, S.H. (1987). Dance And Lived Body. University of Pittsburgh Press. Lindqvist, A. (2019). Bortglömda kroppar i ett akademiserat förskollärarprogram? Omförskollärares lärprocesser. Pa Spissen 5(1): 44–64. Mattsson, T., & Gripson, M. P. (2024). ‘I did not know that the pupils loved dancing… until the projector came’: constructions of dance as learning activity in school-age educare. Research in Dance Education, 1-21. Meiners, J., and R. Garrett. 2015. “An Australian Curriculum for Social Justice: Potentials and Possibilities.” In Dance Education around the World. Perspectives on Young Children and Change, edited by C. S. Nielsen and S. Burridge, 11–21. Routledge. Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962/2002). Phenomenology of perception. Routledge. Oliver-Barcelo, M., Ferrer-Ribot, M., & Jové, G. (2024). Arts education in early childhood teacher training: An international analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education, 148, 104703. Parviainen, J. (2003). Kinaesthetic empathy. Pastorek Gripson, M., Lindqvist, A., & Østern, T. P. (2022). ‘We put on the music and then the children dance’-Swedish preschool teachers’ dance educational experiences. Research in dance education, 23(3), 337-359. Pastorek Gripson, M., Mattsson, T., & Andersson, N. (2021). What syllabus documents can tell us about the presence and position of dance in Early Childhood Teacher Education: A Swedish perspective. Research in Education, 111(1), 46-69. Stinson, S. W. 2015. “Rethinking Standards and Assessments in Dance Education.” In Dance Education around the World. Perspectives on Young Children and Change, edited by C. S. Nielsen and S. Burridge, 107–116. Routledge Svendler Nielsen, C., and S. Burridge, eds. 2015. Dance Education around the World Perspectives on Young Children and Change. London: Routledge. Svendler Nielsen, C., Østern, T.P., Karlsen, K.H., Anttila, E., & and Martin, R. (2023). Troubling dance education from a Nordic policy perspective: A field with an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral potential. Dance Articulated, Special Issue: Dance in Cross-Sectoral Educational Collaborations, 9(1), 11-30. Swedish Research Council. 2017. Forskningsetiska principer inom humanistisksamhällsvetenskaplig forskning. [Good Research Practice]. Stockholm: Vetenskapsrådet. UNICEF. 2019. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. https://www.unicef.org . Winner, E., T. Goldstein, and S. Vincent-Lancrin. 2013. Art for Art’s Sake: The Impact of Arts Education. Paris: OECD Publishing.

Research on grading in physical education and health (PEH) continues to demonstrate both inequitable practices and outcomes some of which are associated with the students’ family background. A central goal for schools around the world is to compensate for students’ family backgrounds to promote greater educational equity. This study aimed to examine the effect of family background on grades in PEH in Sweden. The data in this study involved the total population of full siblings (N = 1,444,575) who were enrolled in Year 9 (ages 14–15) between 2000 and 2017. The results indicate an increasing impact of family background on PEH grades over time, particularly for foreign-born students, suggesting a decline in educational equity. These results highlight the need for targeted interventions and policy reforms to address growing inequities and ensure that all students, regardless of background, have equal opportunities to succeed in PEH

In a democratic society, knowledge and research grounding play central roles. To support students' learning,it is necessary for teachers to be able to motivate and create challenging and stimulating learningopportunities. Questions regarding academic literacy often lack embodied and aesthetic perspectives(Carlgren, 2015), leading to challenges in bridging the gap between knowledge and teaching. Studies haveshown that traditionally academic teaching methods and dualistic conceptions of learning can be identifiedwithin certain higher education contexts (Pastorek et al., 2021; Østern et al., 2021). The aim of this paper isto highlight and discuss the possibilities of embodiment and aesthetics in teaching and examinations in highereducation. To enhance student engagement, a more holistic approach to education is required, whereindividuals are inspired and given space in various ways (Østern, et al., 2019). By paying attention to students'bodily communication, contact, and presence, the quality of the learning processes can improve (Winther,2018). Based on research in preschool teacher education (Pastorek et al., 2021), a picture emerges whereacademic values, such as writing and speaking, take up a significant space in content, goals, and assessmentsat the expense of aesthetic and bodily perspectives. Instead, embodiment and aesthetic perspectives onknowledge and knowledge production in higher education can be a contribution to varied forms of teachingand examinations and a way to further development in the discussion around Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Introduction: Research has indicated that Physical Education (PE) is often characterized by teacher-centred teaching (e.g. Byra 2006; Tinning 2010), where the pupils follow instruction and perform pre-established movements (Karlefors and Larsson 2018). Pupils are expected to listen, do as they are told, and follow rules (Fitzpatrick and Russell 2015; Quennerstedt 2013). PE teaching has been described as an act of control (Quennerstedt 2013), and teachers face the dilemma of letting go of control and still having enough control to make sure that the lesson smoothly moves forward (Alfrey and O'Connor 2020). However, when the pupils are given more power and the teacher applies student-centred teaching, the pupils get to come up with ideas and make decisions (e.g. Byra 2006; Garrett and Wrench 2018; Mattsson and Larsson 2021). This is significant because it can develop PE and contribute to meaning making among pupils and their experiences of movement. This article aims to analyse the use of exploratory circus assignments in PE teaching and to discuss this in relation to current school norms. Biesta's (The Beautiful Risk of Education [Paradigm Publishers 2014]) concept of risk, which means not knowing the outcome, is used. The article problematizes pupils' own ideas and suggestions in relation to prevailing norms in school. What happens when pupils participate in teaching based on exploratory circus assignments? Exploration, playfulness, and expression were focused, and the lessons were characterized by the absence of primary focus on competitiveness as a counterweight to traditional PE content. Methods: A research teacher (a university teacher with experience teaching school PE and circus) conducted 10 lessons together with 20 pupils (aged 10) and their PE teacher using exploratory circus assignments. Data was collected through participant observation, video observation, and field diary. The data analysis generated three themes, Following instruction, Limited exploration, and Shared power, that were reviewed in relation to the theoretical framework. Results: The results show that the research teacher and the PE teacher resisted embracing risk in PE due to the prevailing norms and what Biesta (2014) describes as the practice of schooling. They focused on keeping the pupils in order rather than being flexible and open to unknown outcomes. The exploratory circus assignments involved risk to different extents, and the research teacher's tendency to embrace risk increased over time. Her letting go of control enabled her to embrace risk. It did not mean a total relinquishment of control, but rather not having exclusive control over the decision-making and meaning-making processes. When she shared the power with the pupils, new and other movements could be explored. The results show that pupils' actions can be more educative than what teachers initially consider. Conclusion: Teachers need to relinquish control to conduct teaching which embraces risk. Doing so enables them to share power with the pupils, which allows pupils to explore and discover different ways of moving and using the material. Exploratory circus assignments can enable risk embracement in PE and function as a way for teachers to reflect upon pedagogical considerations and practice the sharing of power with their pupils.

nterest in school-age educare has been growing internationally. School-age educare in Sweden emphasises learning and participation in aesthetic and creative learning activities. This study aims to critically examine how dance as a learning activity is constructed by educators in Swedish school-age educare. Discourse analysis is used to shed light on discursive constructions made by school-age educators when they reason about dance and learning in their educational practices. The empirical material consists of six focus-group interviews with 18 school-age educators. Three discourses are identified: (1) dance as a joy-filled activity, (2) digital tools as prerequisites for dancing, and (3) pre-choreographed dances as a preference. The results show that there is a lack of aesthetic and creative aspects in dance in school-age educare. School-age educators include dance because it is fun and is carried out by imitating movements without a focus on learning. The educators who appreciate dance lack the know-how to develop pupils’ dance skills beyond what they already know. There are holistic ambitions in school-age educare to let care, play, and learning intersect, but creative dance still has an untapped potential to engage pupils in cultural activities and to contribute to gender repositioning.

It is well-known that art and cross-sectoral collaborations are needed and have value in the educational sector. The aim of this article is to describe and problematise beliefs, norms, and experiences that are articulated in descriptions of collaboration surrounding dance teaching in educational contexts in Sweden. This article rests on social constructionist perspectives and is informed by discourse analysis to problematise the experiences of collaboration regarding dance education. The empirical material consists of focus group interviews with dance teachers, pre-school teachers, and school-age educare center teachers. Analysis is focused on the discourses that occur in the empirical material, where different educators describe their experiences of collaborations. Three discourses emerge in the result: first, dance as an eraser; second, the dance teacher as inspirer and physically competent; and finally, ‘Jack in the box’—dance as collaboration? The conclusion drawn from the results is that cooperation is common, but collaborations are not. If one intends to develop shared values, alignment, and equal power relations, collaboration is required. The importance of combining dance competence with pedagogical competence adapted to the specific educational setting is essential.

Introduction: Education equality is a central goal in well-fair states around the world. In Sweden, the school and the subject physical education (PE) should be equal and compensate for students’ different backgrounds, e.g. socioeconomic, - and migration background. Although equality is a central goal, little is known about how equality in PE has changed during the last decades (Jansson et al., 2021). One approach to study equality is to analyze how grades for biological siblings correlate – this captures all aspects that siblings share, among others, socioeconomic, - and migration background. Although this approach is well established in educational research, there are no studies in PE-research (Jansson et al., 2021). As a result, there is limited knowledge about the extent to which students’ backgrounds have affected their grades in PE. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze how equality in PE in Sweden has changed over the last two decades. 

Method: The method is based on quantitative analyzes of students’ (N = 5,848,642) grades in PE, between the years 1999-2019. The method is based on analyzing correlations between siblings’ grades, using variance decomposition. More precisely, analyzing the correlation between full siblings, born within a three-year window, and their annually standardized grades in PE. In addition to socioeconomic, - and migration background, the measure takes into account all the aspects that full siblings share, such as: upbringing, genetic factors, living conditions, parenting and regional factors. 

Results: In relation to the total variation in students’ grades in PE, the proportion explained by variation between siblings has increased between the years 1999-2019. That is, the results indicate that the importance of students’ family background, over the past two decades, has become more important for students’ grades in PE. Furthermore, the largest increase in sibling correlation is found within the group of students born abroad.

Discussion: The results indicate that equality in PE in Sweden has deteriorated. This can be explained by that, between 1999 and 2019, (i) the student group has become more heterogeneous, i.e., it has become more difficult to compensate for students’ different backgrounds; (ii) PE has become worse at compensating for students with different backgrounds, e.g. lower socioeconomic background.

Reference: Jansson, A., Sundblad, G. B., Lundvall, S., Bjärsholm, D., & Norberg, J. (2021). Students’ perceived learning in physical education: variations across students’ gender and migration background in Sweden. Sport, Education and Society, (1)1-13. Doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2021.1878129

Research about physical education teacher education (PETE) indicates that the education program attracts homogeneous groups of students, consisting mainly of young men originating from the country in question and who have academic backgrounds. The purpose of this article is, through a case study of one Swedish PETE institution, to explore a cohort of 60 students regarding background characteristics (gender, social and migration background) and secondary characteristics (school success, experience of sport and physical activity cultures, and perceived physical ability). The case study indicated that the students have slightly more diverse backgrounds than is found in previous PETE research, but at the same time, they remain fairly homogeneous regarding, e.g. such as school success, the experience of sport and physical activity, and perceived physical ability. Attracting a more diverse group of students does not mean necessarily that the students are equally diverse when it comes to experiences of movement culture, and the abilities and knowledge that they have gained from participation in this culture.