In a democratic society, knowledge and research grounding play central roles. To support students' learning, it is necessary for teachers to be able to motivate and create challenging and stimulating learning opportunities. Questions regarding academic literacy often lack embodied and aesthetic perspectives (Carlgren, 2015), leading to challenges in bridging the gap between knowledge and teaching. Studies have shown that traditionally academic teaching methods and dualistic conceptions of learning can be identified within certain higher education contexts (Pastorek et al., 2021; Østern et al., 2021). The aim of this paper is to highlight and discuss the possibilitiesof embodiment and aesthetics in teaching and examinations in higher education. To enhance student engagement, a more holistic approach to education is required, where individuals are inspired and given space in various ways (Østern, et al., 2019). By paying attention to students' bodily communication, contact, and presence, the quality of the learning processes can improve (Winther, 2018). Based on research in preschool teacher education (Pastorek et al., 2021), a picture emerges where academic values, such as writing and speaking, take up a significant space in content, goals, and assessments at the expense of aesthetic and bodily perspectives. Instead, embodiment and aesthetic perspectives on knowledge and knowledge production in higher education can be a contribution to varied forms of teaching and examinations and a way to further development in the discussion around Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Interest in school-age educare has been growing internationally. School-age educare in Sweden emphasises learning and participation in aesthetic and creative learning activities. This study aims to critically examine how dance as a learning activity is constructed by educators in Swedish school-age educare. Discourse analysis is used to shed light on discursive constructions made by school-age educators when they reason about dance and learning in their educational practices. The empirical material consists of six focus-group interviews with 18 school-age educators. Three discourses are identified: (1) dance as a joy-filled activity, (2) digital tools as prerequisites for dancing, and (3) pre-choreographed dances as a preference. The results show that there is a lack of aesthetic and creative aspects in dance in school-age educare. School-age educators include dance because it is fun and is carried out by imitating movements without a focus on learning. The educators who appreciate dance lack the know-how to develop pupils' dance skills beyond what they already know. There are holistic ambitions in school-age educare to let care, play, and learning intersect, but creative dance still has an untapped potential to engage pupils in cultural activities and to contribute to gender repositioning. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Internationally, there is a growing interest in School-Age Educare and the meaning of aesthetic aspects of teaching and learning in educational settings. Even if dancing is beneficial for human wellbeing and can be understood as both a physical activity as well as an aesthetic expression there are few studies that examine dance in School-Age Educare. Dance as an aesthetic expression can be linked to femininity which adds challenges in educational practice. According to UNICEF, dancing is one way for children to develop imagination, creativity, and social skills. Therefore, this study aims to critically examine the prerequisites for teaching and learning dance in School-Age Educare in Sweden. This study sheds light on discursive constructions made by school-age educators when they reason around dance in their education. The empirical material consists of six semi-structured interviews with eighteen educators in sex School-Age Educares in Sweden. Mainly two discourses of how dance is constructed appear in the material. Firstly, a discourse on dance as a joyful “learning” activity. Secondly, a discourse on “teaching” dance by using digital tools. The results show that it is challenging for the educators to encourage pupils while managing the risk that dance as a feminine activity is consolidated. Moreover, in its current form, there is a shortcoming of possibilities for pupils ́to develop their own creativity in dance. Finally, the educators lack the know-how to develop pupils ́ dance skills beyond what they already know. © The International Academic Forum 2023

It is well-known that art and cross-sectoral collaborations are needed and have value in the educational sector. The aim of this article is to describe and problematise beliefs, norms, and experiences that are articulated in descriptions of collaboration surrounding dance teaching in educational contexts in Sweden. This article rests on social constructionist perspectives and is informed by discourse analysis to problematise the experiences of collaboration regarding dance education. The empirical material consists of focus group interviews with dance teachers, pre-school teachers, and school-age educare center teachers. Analysis is focused on the discourses that occur in the empirical material, where different educators describe their experiences of collaborations. Three discourses emerge in the result: first, dance as an eraser; second, the dance teacher as inspirer and physically competent; and finally, ‘Jack in the box’—dance as collaboration? The conclusion drawn from the results is that cooperation is common, but collaborations are not. If one intends to develop shared values, alignment, and equal power relations, collaboration is required. The importance of combining dance competence with pedagogical competence adapted to the specific educational setting is essential. © 2023 Märtha Pastorek Gripson, Torun Mattsson and Anna Lindqvist.

Syftet är att generera kunskap om förskollärares erfarenheter av, och didaktiska reflektioner om undervisning i dans relaterat till innehåll och metoder i förskolan. Förskollärarna deltar i ett aktionsforskningsprojekt och arbetar med dans utifrån ett uttalat genus- och jämställdhetsperspektiv. Artikelns teoretiska ramverk utgår från teorier om kroppen, didaktisk design och en flerdimensionell didaktisk modell. I analysen av förskollärarnas dokumentationer och samtal om dans framträder att undervisningen bedrivs både spontant och planerat. Förskollärarnas deltagande i aktionsforskningsprojektet har bidragit till utforskande och kontinuitet i undervisningen i dans. Relationer till barnen, arbetslaget och föräldrarna har betydelse för barnens delaktighet och undervisningens innehåll. Förskollärarna undervisar på olika sätt vilket kan förstås i termer av en förkroppsligad, levd kunskap. Barns lärande i dans stimuleras även när förskollärare medvetet iscensätter och planerar en undervisningssituation utan att själv vara aktivt deltagande. Dans i förskolan kan beskrivas som en rörlig verksamhet. Undervisningen är tematisk och flexibel i relation till rum, tid och barngruppens storlek. Studien indikerar en skiljelinje mellan dansundervisning i en konstnärlig kontext och undervisning i dans i förskolans utbildning.