Teachers’ sensemaking of physically active learning: A qualitative study of primary and secondary school teachers participating in a continuing professional development program in Norway

Abstract

Physically active learning (PAL) has been advocated as a strategy for enhancing young people's movement and learning. To understand how PAL is accepted, adapted, and used by teachers, this study interviewed 16 teachers. The concept of sensemaking and thematic analysis was used in the study. The findings illustrate that teachers made sense of PAL through the lens of professional identity, using PAL to vary their teaching and include students of varying abilities in learning. We conclude that teachers may be more likely to interact with PAL if primacy is given to its educational purposes.