Göran Gerdin

Göran Gerdin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sport Science at Linnaeus University, where he currently serves as program director for the Physical Education and Health Teacher Education program and leads the department's internationalization efforts. He is affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences and maintains active roles in editorial boards for Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education and Sport, Education and Society, as well as convening the Research in Sport Pedagogy network for the European Educational Research Association (EERA).

Dr. Gerdin's scholarly work centers on making visible and challenging dominant norms and values linked to the body, gender, physical activity, sport, and health in school physical education and health (HPE). His research examines how power relations, discourses, and social structures shape students' experiences and identities within educational settings, with particular attention to gender dynamics, embodiment, and social justice. He develops teaching practices that promote inclusion, equity, and social justice in HPE and teacher education, while contributing sociological perspectives on sports participation and coaching.

His extensive publication record demonstrates a clear trajectory toward understanding social justice pedagogies across different cultural contexts. Recent work explores how students experience inclusion and equity in physical education, how teachers implement social justice approaches, and how gender norms and masculinity are constructed in school settings. His research often employs qualitative methodologies, including narrative and visual approaches, to capture the complex embodied experiences of students and teachers. The EDUHEALTH research project has been central to his comparative work across Sweden, Norway, and New Zealand.

Dr. Gerdin has authored the influential book Boys, Bodies, and Physical Education: Problematizing Identity, Schooling, and Power Relations through a Pleasure Lens (2017) and co-authored Social Justice Pedagogies in Health and Physical Education (2021) and Critical Research in Sport, Health and Physical Education: How to make a difference (2018). His current work identifies nine pedagogical pillars for social justice in HPE practice, which include building relationships, teaching for social cohesion, and taking explicit action on social inequities.