Physically active learning and physical active lessons as a part of academic teaching in primary schools.

Abstract

This narrative literature review examines the implementation of physically active learning (PAL) in primary school education, focusing on the pedagogical competencies teachers need to implement PAL successfully and the enabling factors within primary schools that support its integration. The increased sedentary behaviour among pupils highlights the need for new approaches to integrating physical activity (PA) within academic education.

PAL aims to integrate movement within academic subject education; it offers a promising strategy to enhance both learning outcomes and physical activity levels instantaneously. Through systematic analysis of international research literature, this study identified several essential teacher competencies for successful PAL implementation, including the ability to design movement-integrated academic activities, flexibility in teaching methods, and sufficient self-efficacy regarding classroom management in active learning.

Key factors for successful implementation were supportive leadership that allocates appropriate resources, a collaborative school culture, ready-made teaching materials to reduce the planning burden, professional development opportunities combining theoretical and practical experiences before and post-graduation, and curriculum flexibility. The findings reveal a gap between the recognized benefits of PAL and its systematic implementation in schools, particularly in the Finnish context where research is more limited compared to international studies. This thesis contributes to understanding how PA can be effectively integrated into academic education in primary schools. Future research directions should include longitudinal studies on sustained PAL implementation and comparative analyses of different teacher professional development approaches in the Finnish educational setting.

In this thesis I am trying to explore the teacher competencies and enabling factors for successful PAL implementation in primary education.