Public Defence: Eirini Pardali

Eirini Pardali will defend her PhD degree in Educational Sciences. Her dissertation explores pupils` experiences with the physical and social school environment as well as their participation in decision-making in physical activity.

06 May

Practical information

  • Date: 6 May 2025
  • Time: 10.00 - 15.00
  • Location: Bø, Auditorium 6-103 and Zoom
  • Download calendar file

    • Link to digital participation (Zoom)

    Meeting ID: 656 6887 5758
    Password: 536892
     

    Programme

    10.00-10.45. Trial lecture: Imagine the following dream scenario; you receive 100 million Norwegian kroner to support the inclusion of pupils’ voices in whole school physical activity in/across a range of different school contexts. Based on your findings and recommendations from your PhD thesis how would you do it?

    12.00-15.00. Public Defence: “Ask us - we have opinions!” A qualitative exploration of primary and secondary school pupils’ voices in school-based physical activity in Norway and Estonia.

    The public defence will be hosted by Anika Aakerøy Jordbru.

     

    Assessment committee

    • First opponent: Dr. Tom Quarmby, Leeds Beckett University
    • Second opponent: Dr. Anna Chalkley, University of Bradford
    • Administrator: Associate Professor Mona Sommer, University of South-Eastern Norway

    Supervisors

     

     

Any questions?

Eirini Pardali is defending her dissertation for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of South-Eastern Norway.

Eirini Pardali

The doctoral work has been carried out at the Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Science. 

You are invited to follow the trial lecture and the public defence. 


Summary

This thesis explores Norwegian and Estonian pupils’ experiences in school-based physical activity in relation to the physical and social school environment. It also explores pupils’ participation in decision-making on physical activity in the contexts of physically active learning, and recess across schools in Norway and Estonia.

The main finding was that physical and social aspects related to age, context, and culture affect school-based physical activity. 

  • Pupils liked large, versatile, nature-based school areas. 
  • Teenagers needed active and social spaces both inside and outside during recess. 
  • Unwritten safety rules were seen as the most important social affordance for physical activity during classes and recess.

The thesis also found that pupils had limited opportunities to make decisions or share their opinions about physical activities at school. This was particularly expressed by the Estonian adolescents. 

There were differences based on age and context in how pupils felt they could participate in physical activities. Pupils felt more able to make decisions during recess than during physical activities in class, (i.e physically active learning). Even though activities were teacher-led, having a choice of activities during physically active learning gave pupils a sense of ownership. Older pupils had more opportunities for school-based physical activities compared to 10-year-olds. Being able to choose activities and teacher support are important for physically active learning and recess.

This research shows that physical and socio-cultural factors need to be considered in school-based physical activity involvement. If we don't include pupils' voices, we won't reach the target group and won't see important changes in attitudes towards health and physical activity. For this to happen, it is time for pupils to be addressed as key stakeholders and active participants in their physically active school day.