Supporting pupils’ development regarding subject knowledge and disciplinary literacy is a complex and challenging task for teachers. Research shows that language-integrated physical education (PE) can assist children’s language development. However, it tends to reduce the time for physical activity, which is problematic since youth’s physical inactivity is a growing problem. This article examines how teachers can emphasize disciplinary literacy and stimulate pupils’ use of verbal language to enhance their learning in PE in a culturally and linguistically diverse context in Sweden. In this practice-based research study grounded in action research methodology, 20 ten-year-old pupils with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds participated with a teacher-researcher in 10 PE lessons in which disciplinary literacy and verbal language were intertwined with exploratory circus assignments. The theoretical framework is based on Biesta’s concept of risk. Data were collected through participant observation, video observation, interviews, and field diary. The data analysis was abductive, oscillating between the theory and the data. A thematic analysis was carried out. The results show that the exploratory circus assignments offered opportunities to emphasize disciplinary literacy and stimulate pupils’ use of verbal language. Focusing on language to ensure all pupils could partake and develop knowledge required time, which encroached on the pupils’ opportunity to be physically active. This was resolved through adding time before the PE lesson to activate the pupils’ background knowledge, anchor the language, and create pre-understanding. Further, including all pupils was challenging, and the pupils had different expectations regarding PE. The findings suggest that inviting pupils to speak involves an embedded risk in communication, but also carries dialogical potential. In collaboration with teaching colleagues, PE teachers can support and strengthen the pupils’ literacy development. 

The empowerment of children is emphasized in a variety of contexts. For example, the Convention on the Rights of the Child mandates opportunities for children to be heard and to express their opinions, and the Swedish compulsory school curriculum advocates democratic teaching methods. Despite this, research shows that children’s influence in school remains limited and that democratic ways of working are particularly lacking in physical education. Therefore, this study proposes changes to physical education. The aim of this action research project was to explore ways of empowering pupils in physical education. The study involves ten-year-old children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, their physical education teacher, and a teacher-researcher. The study is at the intersection of three different fields in relation to physical education: influence, language, and creativity. Exploratory circus activities are used as a means to empower pupils and challenge the conventional structure of the subject. 

The study offers multiple contributions, such as practical suggestions for empowering pupils in physical education and the complex interplay between theory and practice. The findings show that physical education can serve as a platform for children to be creative, express themselves in a variety of ways, and exert influence. However, the findings reveal that empowering pupils can be a challenging process for a teacher because of prevailing norms in school, ingrained teaching habits, and both the teacher’s and pupils’ previous experiences and preconceptions of what education, and physical education in particular, entails. Finding ways to empower pupils means finding ways for teachers to share power equitably with pupils. Teaching and learning circus in physical education contributes significantly to critical thinking and acting upon how education is constructed and conducted.

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.

Swedish compulsory school education rests upon the foundation of democracy, and the Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and school-age educare 2011 (Skolverket, 2018) stresses that children should have the opportunity to take initiatives. Research shows that children are not able to have any influence on activities in Physical Education and Health (PEH). Usually, they have to follow the teacher’s instructions and reproduce specific movement patterns. This article discusses a research project that challenged traditional ways of teaching PEH, in order to give 10-year-old children the opportunity to have an influence on PEH. The project involved 10 circus lessons in which the children were encouraged to explore movement and put their own ideas into practice. In terms of theory, the approach is based on Hart’s (1997) Ladder of Children’s Participation. Data were collected through participant observations, video observations, interviews, and a field diary. The results show that the children participated in varying degrees and experienced attempts to increase their influence in different ways: Some found it fun and free, while others found it difficult and boring. One important conclusion is that influence and participation need to be practised – both by children and by teachers. Circus activities, because of the playfulness and creativity involved, may be very suited to practising influence and participation.