Outdoor education and inclusion : Teachers’ didactic perspectives in a multicultural school context

Outdoor education (friluftsliv) is a compulsory component of the Swedish school subject Physical Education and Health. In increasingly multicultural school contexts, questions of inclusion and equal participation in outdoor education have become increasingly relevant. The aim of this study is to contribute knowledge about how teachers in Physical Education, interpret, and talk about outdoor education in a multicultural school context, with particular focus on inclusion and the didactic considerations described in relation to students with limited experience of Swedish outdoor culture. The study is based on a qualitative research design and consists of semi-structured interviews with five upper secondary school teachers in Physical Education and Health. The empirical material was analysed using a discourse-theoretical framework. An archaeological analytical approach was used to identify recurring ways of talking about outdoor education and to examine which discourses and perspectives are made visible or remain absent in teachers’ descriptions. A genealogical approach was used to relate these discourses to the historical development of outdoor education, highlighting how historical traditions and norms continue to shape contemporary teaching practices. The results show that activity-based discourses and experience- and recreation-oriented discourses are the most prominent within the discursive field constituted by the empirical material. Outdoor education is primarily described as physical activities conducted in outdoor environments or as experiences associated with positive health outcomes, such as well-being and recovery. In contrast, discourses emphasising survival skills, material conditions, everyday outdoor practices, and critique of materialism are present but occupy a more marginal position. A central finding is not only which discourses dominate, but also what is largely absent from teachers’ descriptions. The analysis reveals a limited articulation of how outdoor education can be adapted to include students with diverse experiences and prerequisites. Overall, the study demonstrates how both the hierarchical ordering of discourses and the absence of alternative perspectives contribute to shaping the discursive frameworks through which outdoor education is made meaningful in a multicultural school context.