New professor Arja Sääkslahti: The joy of physical activity in early childhood builds the best foundation for development 

Sääkslahti’s research in sport pedagogy includes a strong developmental perspective, attention to individual needs, and the understanding that each of us contributes to physical activity education in some way. 

“Throughout my career, one of my main goals has been to understand the development of children and adolescents of different ages, so that each can be given the best possible foundation for physical activity,” says Sääkslahti. “I want to support children and adolescents in finding ways of being active that suit them and in preserving the joy of movement throughout life.” 

Sääkslahti emphasises that it’s never too late to start being physically active, but her research highlights that the early years play a key role in lifelong development. 

“That’s why my current research passion focuses on early childhood,” explains Sääkslahti. “I’m particularly interested in exploring how the innate need for movement, sensory perception through the whole body, and the positive experiences created by joy and a sense of achievement relate to children’s holistic development.”  

PE teacher training has a long-lasting impact on society 

Children’s physical activity levels are still insufficient, despite the issue being widely discussed. A national study on swimming skills, published in 2022 in collaboration with the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation, already gave early warning signs of what insufficient skills can mean in practice. This past summer, we paid a high price for children’s inadequate water skills. 

“The need for research-based knowledge is clear if we want to find the best ways to promote physical activity among children,” explains Sääkslahti. “The strongest possible long-term impact on society can be achieved through excellent teacher education, high-quality content, and skilled teachers.” 

In currently ongoing research projects, Sääkslahti and her collaboration partners are examining, for example, the effects of music and physical activity sessions on the socioemotional skills of children in kindergarten, the regulations guiding the construction of outdoor play areas from the perspectives of children’s physical activity and learning, as well as the water competency of young and school-aged children, and the amount of swimming instruction provided in schools and teacher education programmes in different countries. 

Arja graduated as a physical education teacher in 1993 and earned her PhD in sport sciences in 2005. Her research career, and especially her choice of research topics, has been strongly influenced by her work as a physical education teacher at the primary level of the Teacher Training School in Jyväskylä and instructing baby swimming as a hobby. Sääkslahti’s mission has been to bring scientific knowledge into practice. In addition to numerous scientific research articles, her academic career includes educational textbooks, science communication, and the transfer of knowledge for the benefit of decision-makers. Sääkslahti serves as the main representative of the sport pedagogy subject at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences. Her work has further expanded into international collaboration to improve both the quantity and quality of research on children’s physical activity. 

More information: 

Professor Arja Sääkslahti     
Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä 
arja.saakslahti@jyu.fi, +358408053974