The Complexity of Play in Physical Education

Play and sports are central elements of physical education (PE), yet the significance of play in PE is rarely discussed. According to the 2020 revision of the Norwegian curriculum (LK20) for PE, play is both the content and teaching method in primary and secondary education. However, there is little research on how students play in PE. This is particularly true for students in secondary education, aged between 13 and 18 years. Building on the theoretical and conceptual framework of Skovbjerg, the study explores play teaching and play practices during PE lessons in secondary school. The data comprise observations of eight PE lessons, and individual interviews with four teachers. Although the teachers describe play as something that evokes joy and evolves throughout the duration of the activity, the results suggest that they organise play activities mainly as practices related to certain learning outcomes. The teachers also use teaching instructions to limit variation in play practices among students, to enable the assessment of individual effort in PE. Overall, this study illustrates how teacher-led organisation can both enable and constrain the various forms of play in PE.