Lära och undervisa i ridning. En studie av inkludering och lärande i ridsport

The Swedish Equestrians Association (SEA) policy document (www.ridsport.se) state intentions of how to make equestrian sport inclusive and sustainable in order to make more riders to continue longer. Still, little is known how the actual riding lessons take place and what teenager experience from the lessons from an inclusive and learning perspective. Swedish youth sport coaches have limited knowledge and poor understanding of pedagogical perspectives of learning (Fahlström et al 2016) as well as of what a child right’s perspective means in the sporting practice (Eliasson 2015). According to Lundsjö-Kvart (2020), riding teachers want to organize lessons with collaborative methods but are unsure how to accomplish this.

Therefore, the purpose of the project is to explore equestrian sport practice from a pedagogical and didactic perspective, how young riders’ experiences the riding lessons from an inclusive and learning perspective and what didactic considerations instructors make when planning and conducting riding lessons.

Research questions are: What do the young riders perceive the training to be about? What is required of them to be able to participate and do what is requested? How are they included and involved in their own learning process? What is the content of the lessons? How are the exercises planned and carried out? In what way do the instructors involve the riders in the process of learning? The point of departure is from a sociocultural perspective (Säljö 2014) with the didactic triangle used as a framework (Amade-Escot 2006), when analyzing the interaction process between rider and riding instructor and the content.

In the long run, the study aims to contribute to a discussion about how riding instructors can provide and involve riders in their equestrian education. Also, how young riders can make their voice heard, feeling safe and involved and develop their skills in equestrian sport. The project will include two to four riding groups’ lessons in two different riding school. Riding lessons will be observed, instructors will be interviewed as well as the young riders. The analysis process will be guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2022) six phases of thematic analysis.

The results and experiences from the study can be used for developing knowledge in education of how to improve teaching and involvement as well as in other sports, in order to expand the feeling of inclusion, safety and learning from a child right’s perspective.

I Svenska Ridsportförbundets policydokument anges att ridsporten ska vara inkluderande. Trots det visar forskning att barn och ungdomsträning kan i än högre grad arbeta med inkludering och pedagogiskt perspektiv på idrott.

I projektet utforskas ridsport ur ett pedagogiskt perspektiv, dvs hur unga ryttare upplever ridlektionerna ur ett inkluderande och lärande perspektiv och vilka didaktiska överväganden instruktörer gör när de planerar och genomför ridlektioner. Studien genomförs med observationer och intervjuer med unga ryttare och ridlärare på ridskolor. I analysen av det empiriska materialet används ett sociokulturellt perspektiv. Studien ska bidra med kunskap för utbildning så att unga ryttare kan känna sig trygga och delaktiga och utveckla sina färdigheter inom ridsport.