Still between the fields of education and sport? Teachers in school sports in Sweden

A decade ago, school sports in Sweden were shown to exist at the intersection of the fields of education and sport. A key reason for this was the fact that a valid teacher certificate, which is normally required for teachers, was not required to obtain the position as a teacher in school sports. Instead, other resources and competencies, such as coaching education and experience in specific forms of sports, were recognised as valuable symbolic capital. Since then, the Swedish school sports system has developed, with higher demands placed on teachers and new opportunities to earn a teacher degree in school sports. However, the question remains whether school sports has become more firmly embedded within the field of education or remains primarily part of the field of sport. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concepts of field and capital, this paper examines the conditions for school sports in Sweden by analysing the competencies, education and backgrounds of individuals who teach school sports. Based on a questionnaire answered by 216 individuals involved in teaching at 40 local schools with elite sports profiles, the results show that the teachers form a relatively homogeneous group: a majority are men of Swedish origin; they have high levels of education, and extensive elite sports experience. However, few have a teacher certificate in school sports. This indicates that coaching education and experience from elite sport are still valuable symbolic capital for teachers in school sports in Sweden. From an egalitarian viewpoint on education, this situation may jeopardise equality for pupils involved, especially regarding the opportunity to achieve national educational goals and fair grading. To strengthen school sports as a legitimate school subject, those in positions of authority need to determine whether the primary symbolic capital within the educational sub-field of school sports should be a valid teacher certificate or extensive experience of elite sport.