‘It Is More Fun to Try It Out for Yourself’: Lower Secondary School Pupils' Perceptions of Physically Active Learning

ABSTRACT

This article explores lower secondary school pupils' perceptions of physically active learning (PAL). Specifically, we explore what educational purposes 12 Norwegian 9th graders perceive PAL contributes to. Five lessons with PAL were observed and informed three subsequent focus groups. Drawing on an abductive, reflexive thematic analysis, we examine how pupils articulate their experiences across activities. We use Gert Biesta's conceptualisations of qualification, subjectification and socialisation as an analytical lens to interpret the educational purposes pupils attribute to PAL. Our findings indicate that pupils primarily perceive PAL in relation to qualification, particularly in terms of engagement with subject content. However, what makes these experiences meaningful is closely linked to collaboration, participation and opportunities to engage in different ways, which can be interpreted in relation to socialisation and subjectification. Importantly, pupils' perceptions are shaped not by movement alone, but by how PAL is structured and enacted in context. These findings contribute to ongoing discussions about the educational purposes of PAL and suggest a need to reconsider the concept to better capture the broader educational experiences that pupils value.