Sports didactics : The shift towards pedagogical framework in Finland

Abstract

The teaching of physical education (PE) to educators in Finland has shifted from didactic techniques focusing on teachers’ actions towards more holistic pedagogy that questions how pupils learn. These changes can be seen in physical education teacher education (PETE) and study books and in the development of PE curriculums for basic education. The national curriculum for basic education changes approximately every ten years and, recently, the national learning outcomes of PE of the two previous curriculums were evaluated. Reflecting on these learning outcomes, the latest research results and feedback from PE teachers, the groundwork for the latest PE curriculum was laid out. The objectives of the current PE curriculum are operationalised into physical, social and psychological functions, encouraging pupils to adopt physically active and healthy lifestyles. These are sought to be achieved by implementing pupil-centred teaching methods based on improving competence, autonomy and psychological relatedness and by creating task-oriented climates during PE lessons. Research on sport psychology has been complementary to research on sport didactics and pedagogy, and the amount of PE-related research has increased in recent years. However, there is still a need to increase the number of multidisciplinary PE research studies. Future research should try to find ways to motivate pupils who do not enjoy PE lessons. The adolescent years are not an easy period, and the current lifestyle of many adolescents revolves around social media, which can negatively affect their emotional development and place them at risk of negative body image. In this context, PE can be a sensitive subject, and PE teachers face challenges in creating a supportive atmosphere. The search for new and innovative pedagogical and didactic solutions is important in order to promote children and adolescents to adopt healthy lifestyles and have a better quality of life. Given the rapidly changing human environment, care should to be taken to ensure that new technological innovations improve human livelihoods. However, more and more research is showing that technology in fact serves to alienate children from their bodies. PE is a sensitive school subject where pupils are faced with the shape and functional capacity of their own body. Future research is needed to find ways to increase intrinsic motivation and to motivate children to be physically active during their lifespan. Therefore, there is a need for multidisciplinary research and methods to open the door for physically active and healthier lifestyles.