Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
Becoming a Place-Responsive Practitioner: Exploration of an Alternative Conception of Friluftsliv in the Swedish Physical
A place-responsive approach can enable Swedish physical education teachers to teach friluftsliv in new ways and to work across subjects more locally.
What's new
This yearlong qualitative project worked with high school physical education and health teachers teaching grades 7–9 in Sweden. It used Deleuze and Guattari's idea of 'becoming-place' to analyse how teachers think about and do school-based friluftsliv. The findings suggest that understanding friluftsliv in the curriculum as outdoor leisure and recreation limits how teachers use it. The key finding is that a place-responsive pedagogy can enable teachers to work in new and innovative ways and to engage in more local, cross-curricular teaching and learning.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
Outdoor learning in Aotearoa can sometimes be framed mainly as recreation. This study suggests how a place-responsive approach could open local and cross-curricular possibilities.
Putting it into practice
Plan one outdoor unit around a nearby place, working with another learning area. Use the place itself as the focus of learning.
How strong is the evidence
This is a qualitative project with a group of teachers in one national curriculum context. It offers rich insight and limited generalisability.
What to read
The findings on the potential of a place-responsive pedagogy for school-based friluftsliv.