Att förstå elevers svårigheter i idrott och hälsa : Relationellt kontra ett kategoriskt peprektiv

Inclusion in physical education and health requires teachers to navigate students’ varying physical abilities while also managing the influence of social norms and organizational conditions on teaching. The aim of this study is to deepen the understanding of how upper secondary school teachers describe and relate to students’ difficulties, as well as the strategies they use to foster participation. To explore this, a qualitative research design was employed, involving semistructured interviews with six upper secondary school teachers in physical education and health, focusing on their experiences of addressing student diversity in their teaching. The interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, in which the researcher’s active interpretation and analytical engagement play a central role in how themes are identified and developed.The results show that relationships, safety, and a supportive group culture are central for enabling students to participate, particularly in activities involving bodily exposure. Teachers describe large variations in physical ability as a challenge to equity and emphasize the need for differentiation, individualization, and variation. Organizational constraints such as large class sizes, limited resources, and differing prior experiences further affect teachers’ opportunities to work inclusively. Teachers shift between relational and categorical interpretations when describing students’ difficulties, which influences how they plan and adapt their teaching.The discussion highlights inclusion as an ongoing process shaped by teachers’ approaches, group norms, and school-level conditions. The study contributes knowledge about how physical education can be developed to better accommodate student diversity and create more inclusive learning environments.