Riding Teachers’ Thoughts about and Conditions for Communication with their Riding Pupils

Author(s):

Susanne Lundesjö - Kvart(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2012

Network:

18. Research in Sports Pedagogy

Format:

Paper

Session Information

18 SES 11, Parallel Paper Session

Parallel Paper Session

Time:

2012-09-20

17:15-18:45

Room:

FFL - Salón de Grados

Chair:

Erik Backman

Contribution

Research topic/aim

Horseback riding is a leisure time activity with 2-3 riding teachers at each riding school and about 500 riding schools, in a population of 9 million people. The Swedish riding school system is unique with a common and national education for riding teachers as well as the same education system for all riding schools. Therefore it is of interest to communicate our experiences in this area. The overall aim of this project is to study riding teachers’ pedagogical practice by describing riding lessons, with special interest in the communication between the riding teacher and the pupil regarding the feeling of riding.

Theoretical framework

Engeström has explored a model for the structure of learning activity out of Vygotskij’s and Leontiev’s theories of activity. His model consists of six interrelated "knots". The activity system is continuously active through contradictions between the knots, “knotworking”. These contradictions can occur on four different levels. By studying them we can arrive at an understanding of the structure of an activity system, e.g. a session of riding instruction.

Method

Methodology Ten riding teachers have been interviewed and a number of instruction sessions have been observed. Important in collecting data, was to try to capture the pedagogical use of language. The themes forming the base of interviews and observations were the concepts communication, emotion and communication of emotion, as well as the role of the riding teacher, the pupil and the horse.

Expected Outcomes

Preliminary findings When the activity model was applied to the data, a number of “knots” were found in the instruction sessions; the riding teacher as the “subject” and the pupil as the “object”. The “instruments” were for example horses and instructions. Parents and the riding hall were identified as “rules” and other riding teachers were the “community”. Finally, young people helping the teachers and the pupils with grooming were identified as “division of labor”. Contradictions were seen at the four different levels, e.g.: (1) The riding teachers wanting to communicate with their pupils about the feeling of riding but lacking words for it; (2) Parents expecting that pupils have the opportunity to ride at every lesson and riding teachers feeling a pressure to meet these expectations even though they believe that the pupils need theory; (3) The teacher wishing to improve her/his teaching but old traditions inhibiting this, and; (4) Within the general school system modern teaching methods have developed, expecting pupils to take responsibility for their own learning. This stands contradictory to the controlled riding lesson where pupils do not have much scope for acting on their own.

References

Bakhurst, D. (2009) 'Reflections on activity theory', Educational Review, 61: 2, 197-210,: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Philadelphia Engeström, Y. (1987) Learning by Expanding. An Activity-Theoretical Approach to Developmental Research. Orienta-Konsultit Oy, Helsingfors Engeström, Y., Engeström, R., Vähäaho, T. (1999) When the Center does not Hold: The Importance of Knotworking, In Activity Theory and Social Practice. Chaiklin, S., Hedegaard, M., Juul Jensen, U., Aarhus University Press. Danmark

Author Information

Susanne Lundesjö - Kvart (presenting / submitting)

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Dep of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Section of Equine Studies

UPPSALA

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