Exploring capability to move – somatic grasping of house-hopping
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore what it means to be able to move in different ways. What does it mean, from the perspective of the learners, to know how to carry out a specific movement? What is there to know and how could this insight contribute to the planning of developing learners' capability to move in different ways? As an example of a ‘new’ way of moving to be learnt, a movement called ‘house-hop’ (i.e. a 360-degree rotation initiated on the ground and completed in the air) was introduced as an object of learning in a physical education (PE) class in a secondary high school in Sweden. The paper explores learners' different ways of moving as expressing different ways of knowing how to ‘house-hop’ comprising also certain aspects of the movement being discerned simultaneously by the learners. In this way, an attempt will be made to explicate what there is to know when knowing a movement.Background: Evans initiated a discussion about what ‘ability’ means and how it is recognized and valued within the context of PE which has been further discussed in a growing body of critical research. He also raised the question of which ‘abilities’ the PE subject is supposed to develop while at the same time stating that ‘talk of physically educating the body’ in terms of ‘practical knowledge,' ‘physical literacy’ or ‘kinesthetic intelligence’ has ‘almost disappeared from the discourse of PE'. Rather, physical education in terms of the theme of this paper, capability to move, is reduced to implicit and taken-for-granted ‘standards of excellence,' only reluctantly discussed by PE teachers. There is a need for conceiving capability to move as an educational aim so that it can be explicitly discussed and dealt with in physical education.Theoretical framework and method: The study takes as its starting point an epistemological perspective on capability to move corresponding with Ryle's ‘knowing how,' challenging the distinction between mental and physical skills in regarding the knowing involved in capability to move as comprising interwoven mental and physical processes. Additionally, phenomenography and Variation Theory are used as analytical framework integrated in a Learning Study. Learning Study is a kind of design experiment inspired by the Japanese Lesson Study, where the main aim is to explore an object of learning.Findings and discussion: The findings show different ways of knowing house-hop as well as several aspects to discern in order to know the movement in a powerful way. The knowing involved in house-hopping can be seen as somatic grasping comprising mental and physical skills as an integrated whole. The paper discusses how this approach to investigating learners' different ways of knowing a new way of moving to be learnt can contribute to the planning of teaching and learning capability to move.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Exploring 'capability to move' may help pupils develop body awareness and motoric competencies.
“Exploring 'capability to move' may help pupils develop body awareness and motoric competencies (Nyberg, 2014).”
From Pedagogies of embodiment in physical education – a literature review (2022) · cites this paper as Nyberg, 2014
Cites
Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy
Reid, L. A., & Polanyi, M. (1959) · British Journal of Educational Studies · doi:10.2307/3119338 · Cited by 7,878 · see citing works
Ryle, G. (2006) · Rowman & Littlefield Publishers eBooks · doi:10.5040/9798216413257.ch-2 · Cited by 6,804 · see citing works
Marton, F., & Booth, S. (2013) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203053690 · Cited by 3,712 · see citing works
Phenomenography ? Describing conceptions of the world around us
Marton, F. (1981) · Instructional Science · doi:10.1007/bf00132516 · Cited by 3,289 · see citing works
Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy
BEAN, W. B. (1961) · Archives of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1001/archinte.1961.03620040143016 · Cited by 1,836 · see citing works
Motor Learning and Control : Concepts and Applications
Magill, R. A. (2020) · Civil War Book Review · Cited by 1,312 · see citing works
Classroom Discourse and the Space of Learning
Marton, F., Tsui, A. Β. M., Chik, P. P. M., Ko, P. Y., & Lo, M. L. (2004) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781410609762 · Cited by 1,070 · see citing works
Whitehead, M. (2010) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203881903 · Cited by 718 · see citing works
Kirk, D. L. (2009) · doi:10.4324/9780203874622-11 · Cited by 622 · see citing works
Ryle, G. (2009) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203875858 · Cited by 578 · see citing works
On the unit of description in phenomenography
Marton, F., & Pong, W. Y. (2005) · Higher Education Research & Development · doi:10.1080/07294360500284706 · Cited by 560 · see citing works
Teaching Games for Understanding and Situated Learning: Rethinking the Bunker-Thorpe Model
Kirk, D., & MacPhail, A. (2002) · Journal of Teaching in Physical Education · doi:10.1123/jtpe.21.2.177 · Cited by 464 · see citing works
On Some Necessary Conditions of Learning
Marton, F., & Pang, M. F. (2006) · Journal of the Learning Sciences · doi:10.1207/s15327809jls1502_2 · Cited by 437 · see citing works
Two Faces of Variation: On continuity in the phenomenographic movement
Pang, M. F. (2003) · Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research · doi:10.1080/00313830308612 · Cited by 280 · see citing works
Making a Difference? Education and ëAbilityí in Physical Education
Evans, J. (2004) · European Physical Education Review · doi:10.1177/1356336x04042158 · Cited by 245 · see citing works
Åkerlind, G. S. (2008) · Teaching in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/13562510802452350 · Cited by 224 · see citing works
Pedagogy and human movement. Theory, practice, research
Standal, Ø. F. (2010) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573322.2010.494012 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Towards a model of talent development in physical education
Bailey, R. P., & Morley, D. (2006) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573320600813366 · Cited by 170 · see citing works
(2009) · Cited by 157 · see citing works
Beyond discourse and interaction. Variation: a critical aspect for teaching and learning mathematics
Runesson, U. (2005) · Cambridge Journal of Education · doi:10.1080/0305764042000332506 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Knowing and Being: Essays by Michael Polanyi
Davis, J. W., & Grene, M. (1972) · Leonardo · doi:10.2307/1572597 · Cited by 151 · see citing works
Variation Theory and the Improvement of Teaching and Learning
Fung-Lo, M. L. 馮. (2012) · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Re-conceiving ability in physical education: a social analysis
Wright, J., & Burrows, L. (2006) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573320600813440 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
What is it Possible to Learn? On Variation as a Necessary Condition for Learning
Runesson, U. (2006) · Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research · doi:10.1080/00313830600823753 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Redelius, K., Fagrell, B., & Larsson, H. (2009) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573320902809195 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Tinning, R. I. (2009) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203885499 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Evidence for the social construction of ability in physical education
Hay, P., & Macdonald, D. (2009) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573320903217075 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Exploring ‘what’ to learn in physical education
Nyberg, G., & Larsson, H. (2012) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2012.726982 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Self-citationSwedish physical education research questioned—current situation and future directions
Larsson, H., & Redelius, K. (2008) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408980802353354 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Brown, T. D., & Payne, P. G. (2009) · Quest · doi:10.1080/00336297.2009.10483624 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
An Introduction To The Phenomenological Study Of Sport
Martínková, I., & Parry, J. (2011) · Sport Ethics and Philosophy · doi:10.1080/17511321.2011.602571 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Light, R. L. (2010) · Journal of Sport and Social Issues · doi:10.1177/0193723510383848 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Hay, P., & lisahunter, L. H. (2006) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573320600813481 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Beyond myopic visions of education: revisiting movement literacy
Kentel, J. A., & Dobson, T. M. (2007) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408980701282027 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Neither flower child norartistebe: aesthetics, ability and physical education
Gard, M. (2006) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573320600813382 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Physical education in Sweden : a national evaluation
Quennerstedt, M., Öhman, M., & Eriksson, C. C.-G. (2008) · Diva portal (Dalarna University Library) · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Light, R. L. (2011) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2010.535197 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Rethinking Ryle: A Critical Discussion of The Concept of Mind
Tanney, J. (2009) · Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Croston, A. (2012) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2011.631001 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Development and Learning of Motor Skill Competencies
WALLIAN, N., & CHANG, C. W. (2006) · SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781848608009.n17 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Wellard, I. (2006) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573320600813523 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Pedagogies of embodiment in physical education – a literature review
Aartun, I., Walseth, K., Standal, Ø. F., & Kirk, D. (2022) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573322.2020.1821182 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
“The aims are to explore the object of learning – amovement called ‘house-hopping’ (Nyberg & Carlgren, 2015), the landscape of juggling (Nyberg et al., 2020) and running (Bergentoft, 2018).”
BackgroundNyberg, G., & Meckbach, J. (2015) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2015.1112778 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Self-citationWhat Would Physical Educators Know About Movement Education? A Review of Literature, 2006–2016
Barker, D. M., Bergentoft, H., & Nyberg, G. (2017) · Quest · doi:10.1080/00336297.2016.1268180 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
“Indeed from this perspective, ways of knowing become embedded in individuals’ bodies (Nyberg & Carlgren, 2015).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citationNyberg, G., Barker, D. M., & Larsson, H. (2020) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2020.1712349 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Self-citationBarker, D. M., Aggerholm, K., Standal, Ø. F., & Larsson, H. (2017) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2017.1371685 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
“To avoid ‘slipping into’ traditional assumptions and reproducing the movement education that already takes place in many PE lessons, we are going to draw on the work of Gilbert Ryle’s perspective on capability (Nyberg 2014a; Nyberg and Carlgren 2015).”
MethodJarrett, K., & Light, R. L. (2018) · European Physical Education Review · doi:10.1177/1356336x17753023 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
“The application of variation theory to the experience of teaching promotes the idea that ‘a necessary condition to discern something is to experience it in relation to something else’ (Nyberg & Carlgren, 2015, p. 618).”
BackgroundExploring Movement Learning in Physical Education Using a Threshold Approach
Barker, D. M., Nyberg, G., & Larsson, H. (2020) · Journal of Teaching in Physical Education · doi:10.1123/jtpe.2019-0130 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“In line with an embodied exploration approach (Light & Kentel, 2015; Nyberg & Carlgren, 2015), the learners ’ general assignment was to develop a thorough appreciation of juggling.”
BackgroundSelf-citation‘Feeling better’: embodied self-knowledge as an aspect of movement capability
Standal, Ø. F., & Bratten, J. H. (2021) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2021.1886268 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“First of all, our interpretation of this literature is that it critiques the traditional content in physical education, i.e. the ‘what’ of the subject (Larsson and Nyberg 2017; Nyberg and Larsson 2014).”
BackgroundFjellner, R. L., & Barker, D. M. (2019) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2019.1635106 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Cederqvist, A. (2020) · International Journal of Technology and Design Education · doi:10.1007/s10798-020-09618-6 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Nyberg, G., Bäckman, E., & Larsson, H. (2019) · European Physical Education Review · doi:10.1177/1356336x19841086 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“If movement in PETE (and PE) is more, or something else, than ‘sport and games’ and consequently movement capability is not merely performing sports and technical skills, then how can it be defined? This question underpinned a series of empirical studies, of which one explored what it means, from the perspective of th…”
BackgroundResultInfluentialSelf-citationRunning: A way to increase body awareness in secondary school physical education
Bergentoft, H. (2020) · European Physical Education Review · doi:10.1177/1356336x18814035 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Turelli, F. C., Vaz, A. F., Tejero‐González, C. M., & Kirk, D. (2022) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2022.2125947 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“They have certainly embodied the movements and developed ‘ practical knowledge ’ , ‘ physical literacy ’ and ‘ kinesthetic intelligence ’ (Nyberg and Carlgren 2015).”
Practising in physical education: a phenomenologically grounded study of student experiences
Askildsen, C.-E. M., & Aggerholm, K. (2023) · Sport, Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573322.2023.2265384 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“In addition, Barker et al. (2020a) and Nyberg and Carlgren (2015) describe what there is to know when knowing a movement, while others have focused on movement capabilities concerning feelings of joy (Barker et al., 2020b; Ingulfsvann et al., 2022), extended student autonomy (Nyberg et al., 2021),…”
Exploring pedagogies of embodiment in physical education teacher education
Standal, Ø. F., Aaring, V. F., & Kirk, D. (2023) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2023.2260398 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“…traditional forms of movement learning and education by developing teaching methodologies helping learners experience, notice, and language one’s own embodied experiences to develop movement capabilities (e.g. Aggerholm et al. 2018; Bergentoft 2018; Nyberg 2014; Nyberg and Carlgren 2015).”
Learning in the educational landscapes of juggling, unicycling, and dancing
Nyberg, G., Barker, D., & Larsson, H. (2021) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2021.1886265 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“We have previously investigated possible meanings of movement capability with this holistic approach to knowing (see e.g. Nyberg 2015; Nyberg and Carlgren 2015; Nyberg, Barker, and Lars-son 2020) and asserted the bene fi ts of investigating what there is to know (and learn) in movement education.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citationBeyond labels: what are the salient features of lesson study and learning study?
Ko, P. Y. (2018) · Educational Action Research · doi:10.1080/09650792.2018.1530126 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Coaching for skill development in sport: a kinesio-cultural approach
Barker, D. M., Nyberg, G., & Larsson, H. (2021) · Sports Coaching Review · doi:10.1080/21640629.2021.1952811 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“By inhabiting, or “dwelling” (Polanyi, 1958/2002, p. 173) in kinescapes, individuals can become a dept at experiencing aspects that are “critical” (Nyberg & Carlgren, 2015, p. 612) for moving in certain ways.”
BackgroundMethodSelf-citationUnderstanding learners’ sense making of movement learning in physical education
Rönnqvist, M., Larsson, H., Nyberg, G., & Barker, D. M. (2019) · Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education · doi:10.1080/25742981.2019.1601499 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“Scholarship within the guided discovery perspective has begun to account for these kinds of differences (Nyberg & Carlgren, 2015; see also Andersson & Östman, 2015) but even within this perspective, there have been few investigations examining how subjective evaluations reflexively influence what…”
InfluentialSelf-citationMoving online in physical education teacher education
Nyberg, G., Bäckman, E., & Tinning, R. I. (2022) · Sport Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573322.2022.2142776 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“…paper, we consider the challenges for Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) that were presented during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 in regard to preservice teachers ’ knowledge in and about movement (Arnold, 1988) and their developing movement capability (Nyberg & Carlgren, 2015).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationFrån ord till rörelser och dans – en analys av rörelsekunnandet i en dansuppgift
Carlgren, I. M., & Nyberg, G. (2015) · Forskning om undervisning och lärande · doi:10.61998/forskul.v3i14.27535 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“På liknande sätt kan en dans-och rörelsekunnig person urskilja olika sätt att röra sig, till exempel avseende tempo, ’konsistens’ och utnyttjande av rummet (Nyberg och Carlgren, 2014).”
BackgroundSelf-citationJanemalm, L., Barker, D., & Quennerstedt, M. (2020) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2020.1727869 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Larsson, H., Nyberg, G., & Barker, D. (2020) · Gender and Education · doi:10.1080/09540253.2020.1792846 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“Modern learning theory typically highlights the necessity of con-textualising learning processes socially and culturally (see, e.g. Lave and Wenger 1991; Wertsch 1998; see also Kirk and Macdonald 1998; Quennerstedt and Larsson 2015).”
BackgroundSelf-citationThe walking rhythm of physical education teaching: an in-path analysis
Andersson, J., & Risberg, J. (2019) · Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy · doi:10.1080/17408989.2019.1611755 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Lesson studies in physical education – a scoping narrative
Santinha, F. M., Onofre, M., & Martins, M. (2024) · International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies · doi:10.1108/ijlls-10-2023-0144 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Nyberg, G., Ekberg, J.-E., Barker, D., & Larsson, H. (2024) · Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education · doi:10.1080/25742981.2024.2408313 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“…how one moves in space and time; (e) interacting and adjusting one’s way of moving with the material and social environment and (f) appreciating moving beyond one’s comfort zone (Barker et al., 2020; Larsson et al., 2024; Nyberg, 2015; Nyberg et al., 2020, 2021; Nyberg & Carlgren, 2015).”
Self-citationVariationsmönster i dansundervisning – lektionsdesign med learning study som forskningsansats
Andersson, N., & Ahlstrand, P. (2022) · Nordic journal of dance · doi:10.2478/njd-2022-0006 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
What it Means to be a Learner and What it Means to Learn and Know in Movement Skill Learning
Nyberg, G. (2023) · Quest · doi:10.1080/00336297.2022.2108855 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Self-citationA Game-Based Approaches for Teaching Entrepreneurship in Application-Oriented University
Li, Y., & Li, W. (2020) · International Conference on Humanities Science and Society Development (ICHSSD) · doi:10.2991/assehr.k.200727.142
Innebörden av att kunna ’house hop’ – rörelsekunnande som kroppslig förståelse
Nyberg, G. (2015) · Forskning om undervisning och lärande · doi:10.61998/forskul.v3i15.27517
Self-citationLobo, J. (2026) · Sport, Education and Society · doi:10.1080/13573322.2026.2745169
- Authors
- Nyberg, G. B., & Carlgren, I. M.
- Affiliations
- Dalarna University (SE)
- Stockholm University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Nyberg, Gunn Birgitta
- Venue
- Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2014-02-06
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 612-628
- ISSN
- 1362-7120 (ISSN-L)
- 1740-8989
- 1742-5786
- OpenAlex
- W2064131764
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 4.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Physical Education and Pedagogy
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › General Arts and Humanities › Corporeality, Perception, and Education
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Sports and Physical Education Research
- Keywords
- knowing how, Ryle, physical education, physical literacy, kinesthetic intelligence, physical abilities, motor learning, high school students, learning study, variation theory, phenomenography, standards of excellence, design experiments, physical education teacher training
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
