Teaching for Student and Societal Wellbeing in HPE: Nine Pedagogies for Social Justice

Abstract

We currently find ourselves living in precarious times, with old and new social inequities on the rise due to the challenges associated with an unprecedented rise of global migration and neoliberalism, amplified in our post COVID-19 world. Research has demonstrated that there is a high correlation between inequality at the societal level and the overall health and wellbeing of individuals within those societies. We believe that school health and physical education (HPE) has a significant role to play in addressing and acting on social inequities that impact on the wellbeing of both students and society as a whole. Based on the findings of an international research project called EDUHEALTH which explored pedagogies for social justice in school health and physical education (HPE) across Sweden, Norway and New Zealand, this paper aims to highlight the addressing of (in)equality and student wellbeing through HPE practice. In particular, the paper presents nine different but complementary pedagogies for social justice that we believe can improve individual, collective, and societal wellbeing. We conclude by proposing that, if adopted across a whole school curriculum, these nine pedagogies for social justice could form the basis of a holistic school-wide community approach aimed at improving both student and societal wellbeing.

Searching for the alternative: A scoping review of empirical studies with holistic perspectives on health and implications for teaching physical education

“…Paper 12 explores how pupils and PE teachers talk about and practice pedagogies of affect as a response to mental health issues, arguing that “investigating how teachers talk about physical education's contributions to pupils’ HWB is crucial because their perceptions and beliefs inevitably influence their teaching” (Teraoka and Kirk, 2021: 2). Further, it is contended that “the role of the teacher shifts from making student[s] healthy to a dialectical responsibility to prepare students with resources needed to be healthy while preparing a learning environment that supports health” (Gerdin et al, 2021: 2).…”

“…One paper (7) emphasizes that PE teachers should involve students in creating an inclusive learning environment that supports students with resources needed to influence their health. Promoting and striving for sustainable and equitable health outcomes in and through PE should provide students with learning tasks and activities that challenge and develop their knowledge and skills to critically reflect and act, both by themselves and with others (Gerdin et al, 2021). PE may be an essential gateway for children to learn life skills and develop patterns for healthy lifestyle behaviors and "is the most effective means of providing all children and youth with the skills, attitudes, values, knowledge and understanding for lifelong participation in society" (UNESCO, 2013: 6).…”

“A constant battle against sedentary lifestyle and screen time”: Swedish school nurses' views on school children's physical activity and its promotion - a grounded theory study

“…The school nurses' practices reflect a collectively oriented public health policy and a social justice discourse: they promoted physical activities that are available to all children, regardless of social conditions. Social justice is also emphasized in the school context by Gerdin et al ( 71 ), who believe that school health and physical education has an important role in addressing and acting on social inequalities that affect the well-being of both students and society as a whole. School nurses are the only professionals in school who meet all children through the health dialogues.…”

The scientific evolution of social justice leadership in education: structural and longitudinal analysis of the existing knowledge base, 2003–2022

“…This can be achieved by improving all students' life prospects, socioemotional growth, and academic outcomes (Berkovich, 2014). Considering that social equity has a significant influence on the psychological and physiological well-being of both students and the school-wide community (Gerdin et al, 2021;Polat et al, 2023), this increased research interest is gratifying and likely to contribute to our understanding of how student well-being can be enhanced through SJL.…”