Physical Activity Integrated into Teaching in Schools in Finland

Abstract: Background: Physical activity levels have dropped among children worldwide over the past decade, and physical inactivity has become a global public health problem. The majority of the time of a school day is spent sedentarily; therefore, schools and teachers have a significant role affecting the physical activity levels and sedentary time of children.Aim: The aim of the study was to examine, describe, and discuss primary school teachers' perceptions and experiences of physical activity integrated into teaching in schools in Finland.Methods: Eight Finnish primary school teachers participated in the research. The data was collected by semi-structured interviews conducted online. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the data collected from the interviews. The phenomenology of perception and the body by Merleau-Ponty was applied as a theoretical framework.Results: The teachers had positive perceptions of physical activity integrated into teaching; however, their practices varied slightly between individuals. Teachers had experienced several benefits within the phenomenon. In addition, there were some constraints experienced; however, those restricted teachers only to some extent from integrating physical activity into teaching. The teachers had a positive feeling of their already existing competence; however, all teachers were open to further knowledge and training.Conclusion: Most of the teachers have become aware of the effect of accomplishing learning by letting the students use the whole body to embodied knowledge. The results indicate the importance of teacher education to develop and cover the skills required from a teacher in integrating physical activity into teaching.