In this chapter, we discuss masculinity in relation to Swedish sports for children with refugee backgrounds. Specifically, we explore how the structure of sports shapes the distinct conditions for their athletic endeavours, including the traits associated with masculinity, which are perceived favourably in sports because they align with the physical and mental norms of male athletes, thereby reinforcing hegemonic masculinity. Moreover, we aim to show that perspectives valorising masculinity can frame children with refugee backgrounds as passive athletes who lack agency. Thus, we discuss two refinements of inclusivity in sports for children with refugee backgrounds in terms of (a) stereotyped notions of gender and refugees and (b) substantial links between desired masculinity and expectations of a perfect match with the Swedish sports system. 

Societal changes during the last few decades have given rise to the expansion of extended systems in nations across the world. Despite differences regarding age groups and relations to compulsory school, the task of extended education is primarily to provide participants with possibilities to learn general or specific content and foster their' socioemotional and academic development and learning. In Sweden, the great majority of the younger pupils attend extended education in terms of the school-age educare centres (SAEC), where they meet teaching connected to four different central content defined in the curricula, of which one relates to games, physical activities and outdoor excursions. This study aims to explore and understand how outdoor excursions in school-age educare can be understood in terms of human practising. Based on observations and the philosophy of human practising four themes are discussed: meaningful challenges, content to learn, standards of excellence and time.

Research has shown that peer victimization and bullying are common phenomena among pupils in different educational institutions, yet we know little about these issues in the educational context of the leisure-time centre. This study addresses leisure-time teachers' reflections on their work regarding peer victimization in the everyday practice of Swedish leisure-time centres. Methodologically, the study is based on written reflections from about a hundred teachers who have been participating in a continuing professional course. The results indicate that leisure-time teachers hold a quite unique professional position within the school organization due to their opportunities to work with pupils in various contexts during the day and their collaborations with other staff within the school organization. Yet the results also reveal a professional culture and material context where collaborations between different professionals are quite limited. The professional culture does not always support the leisure-time centre teachers' wish to have more opportunities to meet and discuss different issues with other staff members and to create a joint platform for collaboration and understanding about victimized pupils. It is hoped that this study will give professionals and policy makers new insights into how to make the leisure-time centre a safe and secure educational setting.

Drawing from data conducted through an action research project, the presentation will focus on the potential dilemmas school-age teachers face. The three dilemmatic spaces identified demonstrate positions and negotiations in relation to students, educators, and the school settings they inhabit. 

This article focuses on Swedish preschool managers’ views of their tasks and daily work: activities, conditions, challenges and ideas on leadership. Five preschool managers were asked to write diary notes during a couple of weeks at work. Through the analysis process, we were inspired by Yukl’s hierarchical behaviour taxonomy. The taxonomy divides leadership behaviours into four parts, task-oriented, relations-oriented, change-oriented and external. The taxonomy was used in terms of positions the managers navigate between, rather than considering them as being bearers of certain behaviours. Data indicate that these preschool managers mainly use the task-oriented and the relation-oriented position. We noticed that they also activate positions oriented to change and external contacts and network building, but to a significantly lesser extent. They solve all kind of problems and many of their stories are about how they strive to meet the needs of children, parents and staff.

One central content in the revised policy document of Swedish school-age educare is Games, physical activities, and outdoor excursions. The overall aim of the project is to understand and develop teaching with a focus on subject-specific knowledge in terms of selection and transformation of the central content Games, physical activities, and outdoor excursions.

The theoretical framework of the project is the concept of powerful knowledge (Young & Mueller, 2013), focusing on both content selection and transformation, concerned with how specific disciplinary knowledge can be made possible for pupils to acquire.

The collaborative project between the four teachers and the three researchers was based on a model of Action Learning described by Zuber-Skeritt (2002) as a way for practitioners to develop knowledge by acting, reflecting on practice, collaborating and learning from actual workplace issues.

A professional dilemmatic space is identified related to the difference from the compulsory education, and how selection and transformation of knowledge content is conditioned by certain aspects of governance, voluntariness and free time.

Despite the challenges of school-age educare our results also reveal possibilities, which offer unique conditions, and provide potential for pupils’ identity and knowledge development. This constitute important conditions also to develop education in compulsory school related to the ambition to empower pupils as the concept of powerful knowledge implies.

In Sweden and other countries, children's everyday lives and educational opportunities depend on their living conditions and class backgrounds. The current study examined the manifestation of issues of social injustice and unequal childhoods in the daily practices of leisure-time centres in Sweden. The empirical data were derived from the written reflections of practitioners enrolled in a continuing education course. The results indicate that leisure-time centres play an important role by compensating for unequal childhoods and other inequalities in the society. The practitioners discussed the importance of the centres’ maintaining supplies of clothing and equipment for children who lack these essentials for participation in outdoor activities. This compensation for unequal childhoods was also expressed through the provision of a free snack every afternoon and free meals during excursions.

his study investigated how gender and sports capital are expressed in sports leaders’ talk about sports for young people with a refugee background. Empirical data were derived from four focus group interviews representing 21 sports club leaders in Sweden. The leaders defined boys and girls as distinct groups but also as groups within which there are differences. Compared with the boys, the girls were presented with lesser possibilities to participate in sports. According to the leaders, the differences in the group of girls rested on that the sports culture in the girls’ country of origin, which may be more or less permissive for girls to be engaged in sports, whereas differences within the group of boys were understood in terms of bodies and mentalities