To Örebro University

Research on Physical Education and Health (PEH) in Sweden has shown PEH teachers more or less taking learning for granted when instructing children and adolescents to move, work out sweat and be active (e.g. Öhman, 2007; Lundvall & Meckbach, 2008; Öhman & Quennerstedt, 2008; Quennerstedt, et al., 2008; Ekberg, 2009). Reflections on student learning tend to be overshadowed by discussions of planning of units and methods (Skolinspektionen, 2012). The aim of the study is to build on previous research and examine PEH teachers reasoning on learning in PEH thru two major questions; What concepts are given meaning when PEH teachers are discussing learning resources in PEH? and How can we understand those concepts from an situated perspective? A sociocultural perspective on learning is used as a theoretical framework where concepts drawing from Lave and Wenger’s (1991) situated perspective on learning inspired the study design. Related to the purpose of the study, video elicited focus group interviews with five experienced PEH teachers was used as a method to collect data. Data was analyzed in two steps using (i) a qualitative content analysis and (ii) as a second step, PEH teacher’s discussions on learning resources in relation to a situated perspective on learning. Findings shows that the respondents are discussing relational resources as (i) Students feeling secure, (ii) Students positioning, (iii) Visible variation, (iv) Content utility and (v) Students’ and teachers’ different agendas. Analysis also shows discussions on individual resources as (i) Student striving for position and (ii) Creation of own purposes. From a situated perspective the respondents are foremost discussing authentic, or contextual environments as resources for learning in which students are creating own of learning curriculums and their thoughts on how it effects student learning. Teachers approaches to national standards and curriculums seem to limit utilization of students own learning curriculums.