Lower primary school pupils’ experience of meaningfulness in physical education: A movement culture analysis

Physical education (PE) in the early primary years plays a pivotal role in fostering a lifelong desire for movement and physical activity. Recent research has emphasized the concept of meaningful PE to enhance the value of PE and motivate participation. Existing studies on Meaningful PE involve limited theoretical discussions and they predominantly reflect teachers’ perspectives. Extending this line of critique, this paper examines meaningful PE pedagogy by integrating movement culture theory and integrating pupils’ voices in the field of Meaningful PE. The study builds upon an action research project, More Meaningful Physical Education (MMPE), conducted with teachers to promote meaningful experiences or pupils in lower primary school PE. In the research presented in this paper, we expand the MMPE project, by asking: What characterises the movement culture in early primary PE teaching that pupils themselves consider meaningful? Using Henning Eichberg’s Configurational Analysis, we analyse three events that pupils identify as meaningful or meaningless through bodily engagement, verbal expression, and drawings. The findings of this line of analysis indicate that movement cultures that pupils in primary school PE themselves consider meaningful are characterized by several key elements. Teachers adopt the role of storytellers, while students engage as co-creators of their learning experiences. These cultures also incorporate cyclical time structures that promote flow and exploration, along with flexible spaces that respond to students’ movements. Additionally, the curriculum places a strong emphasis on playful and experimental activities rather than conventional games. These cultures also incorporate carnivalesque elements infused with humour and creativity. By integrating movement culture theory with Meaningful PE, this paper strengthens the theoretical foundations for Meaningful PE by providing a framework for critically analysing and developing a PE culture that supports meaningful experiences. Additionally, this framework broadens our understanding of how PE both reflects and co-constructs societal values.