‘What is love?‘ Young pupils’ performances of emotions in classroom activities

Relatively few studies have examined how sexuality education is delivered in classroom teaching, particularly to younger children. This study provides insights into teachers’ classroom practices with pupils (aged 6–9 years) in Sweden, and explores the possibilities that the teaching opens up. The research question explored was: how are performances of love constructed in pupils’ discussion and writing? Drawing on a relational approach to performativity, and using reflexive thematic analysis, pupil’s performances were grouped together into themes. The findings reveal that classroom teaching offers opportunities to engage with a wide range of issues, including definitions of love, what love feels like, the objects of love, understandings of love and relationships, love as seen by others, the consequences of love and divorce, and changes associated with love. Classroom teaching creates opportunities for young pupils to develop a broad repertoire of performances related to love, thereby enriching their understanding of sexuality.