Academically gifted students' relation to physical activity in Swedish school settings

Felicia Augustsson

This PhD project focuses on academically gifted students’ relation to physical activity during compulsory schooling years. All students spend a large part of their childhood in school settings, which is an important arena for children’s learning and development. All children, and thereby students, should have the opportunity to be physically active in school settings based on their individual needs and abilities. Therefore, knowledge is needed about students' different needs in terms of physical activities in school and there is today a request for studies on gifted students and physical activity in school.

In the Swedish compulsory school context, approximately 5% of all students are gifted. Students whose giftedness is in the academic domain have been shown to have low beliefs in their physical abilities. Children’s beliefs in physical abilities are positively associated with enjoyment of physical activity and relates to for example sports, physical activity, and appearance. Scholars report on the existence of stereotypical views of academically gifted students; that they should be nonathletic and uninterested in sports and physical activities. What is unclear, however, is whether such stereotypical views affect gifted students' relationship to physical activity.

There is currently a lack of studies that focus on the voices of academically gifted students and their perspectives and experiences of physical activity during school years. More research is also needed with teachers, as their perspective both on the promotion of physical activity in school and on giftedness is important to explore since they are key agents in students', and thus children's, school settings.

AIM
The aim of the PhD project is to contribute with new knowledge about academically gifted students' relation to physical activity in a Swedish compulsory school setting. Furthermore, also contribute with new knowledge about teachers' views on these students' needs for physical activity and thereby how teachers can meet these needs.