Physical Activity in the Classroom: Does it facilitate positive emotions and a good learning environment?

It is a wide held belief among scientist and teachers that physical activities in school creates joyfulness and supports the development of a ‘positive’ learning environment. This belief is solid, but built on scant scientific documentation. In Denmark new governmental policy prescribes 45 minutes physical activity during each school day from 0th to 10th school year, as a tool to facilitate health, motivation and academic performance. A qualitative study on pupils in 6th grade (N=8) and teachers’ (N=3) experience of movement and physical activities in school gives support to the idea, that physical activities in school enhance positive emotions and support an inclusive and safe learning environment. Thought it does also point to the fact, that it is indeed not that simple. Teachers’ sport-specific educational competences, their own experience of well-being and fun related to physical activities and their ability to align activities to the specific group of children they teach, seems to influence the joy and positive effects on the learning environment in school.