Participatory approaches to physical activity and dance research with early childhood teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-308
Author(s):  
Andrew Gibbons ◽  
Jennifer Nikolai
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Participatory Approaches ◽  
Creative Dance ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Risky Play ◽  
Teaching Team ◽  
Children’S Physical Activity

This paper engages with multiplicity in methodology through reflections on a dance and risky play research project in a shared problematisation of children’s physical activity. A research-practitioner team explored perspectives on physical activity and risky play through dance. This project aimed to distance itself from the idea of an expert other in both research and professional development – an approach that employs a Foucauldian reading of power/knowledge to make sense of the multiplicity of agendas around dance and physical activity. One early childhood centre teaching team participated in two focus groups (pre and post) and a workshop. The workshop conducted in the centre was designed in response to the first focus group, applying creative dance elements within the Aotearoa New Zealand curriculum concept of people, places and things, indoors and outdoors. We reflect on how the relationships to expert knowledge emerged and aligned with the research aims and design.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Study of Teachers’ Perceptions of Children’s Physical Activity and Learning in Preschool

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Waode Eti Hardiyanti ◽  
Muhammad Ilham
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Children’S Physical Activity

AbstractThe aimed of this research is to examine teachers’ perception of physical activity that can indicate the level of physical activities displayed in children’s classroom. Semi-formal interviews were conducted with six early childhood teachers. Results of the study indicated that early childhood teachers used physical activity to promote the learning materials. The teachers stated that through their physical activities, children might develop a better comprehension of academic concepts. The teachers also reported that children’s positive attitudes improved when physical activity was undertaken, particularly evidenced by an increase in children’s confidence and enthusiasm during the learning process. However, inadequate opportunity to include physical activity in preschool due to limited equipment, deterred teachers from truly facilitating the physical activities of children. The teachers were also concerned that their ability and understanding to accommodate physical activity may not be adequate for the children. Therefore, underpinning the teacher’s role with training may be required in order to cover the children’s needs to actively engage in physical activities as mentioned in curriculum.

scholarly journals Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers’ Preparedness to Teach Education for Sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-96
Author(s):  
Anita Croft
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Preparedness To Teach

The benefits of beginning Education for Sustainability (EfS) in early childhood are now widely documented. With the support of their teachers, young children have shown that through engagement in sustainability practices they are capable of becoming active citizens in their communities (Duhn, Bachmann, & Harris, 2010; Kelly & White, 2012; Ritchie, 2010; Vaealiki & Mackey, 2008). Engagement with EfS has not been widespread across the early childhood sector in Aotearoa New Zealand (Duhn et al., 2010; Vaealiki & Mackey, 2008) until recently. One way of addressing EfS in early childhood education is through teacher education institutions preparing students to teach EfS when they graduate.

Disrupting the paradigm: “Children need to learn how to learn”

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 6-20
Author(s):  
Beverley Clark ◽  
Hilda Hughson
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Know How ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Children And Childhood ◽  
Te Whāriki

The views that early childhood teachers have of children and childhood are informed by the rhetoric and theories of early childhood, their cultures, life stories, philosophies, and ongoing practices as teachers. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Whāriki, the legislated national curriculum for early childhood education, further guides early childhood teachers’ practice and frames teachers’ image of the young child. This article confronts and critiques a short phrase that is an addition to the revised Te Whāriki curriculum document, specifically the phrase that children “need to learn how to learn”. This phrase implies that young children do not know how to learn. The implication in this utterance belies the intense drive that children have to learn, to play, to explore, and to understand as they grow in strength in their sense of self within their whānau and communities. We care about the image that this presents to student teachers, to teachers. We challenge whether the notion that children need to learn how to learn is the image that early childhood teachers hold, or want to hold, of children. We argue that this phrase and image of the child as needing to learn how to learn is a loose thread in the whāriki that potentially undermines and is counter to the more dominant concept within Te Whāriki of the competent child.

Shade coverage, ultraviolet radiation and children’s physical activity in early childhood education and care

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 1325-1333
Author(s):  
Hayley Christian ◽  
Leanne Lester ◽  
Stewart G. Trost ◽  
Georgina Trapp ◽  
Jasper Schipperijn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Ultraviolet Radiation ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Education And Care ◽  
Children’S Physical Activity

scholarly journals Practical Wisdom in Professional Practice: The Person in the Process

2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy Goodfellow
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Practical Wisdom ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Professional Portfolios ◽  
The Status ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Mapping Exercise

Recent reviews of the status and standing of early childhood teachers in Australia indicate high attrition, low retention and low morale within the profession. A contributing factor may be the lack of professional and public recognition of the expert knowledge held by practitioners. The extent of this phenomenon was investigated through a mapping exercise. Data were gained from two sources — the National Childcare Accreditation Council's revised Quality Improvement and Accreditation System for long day care centres and advertised position descriptions for early childhood teachers/directors. These data sources, while providing some insight into the nature of early childhood teachers' work, showed that the hidden dimensions of professional practice are largely ignored in such public documents. The findings suggest that little recognition is currently being given to practical wisdom — the professional's capacity to make sound judgement in the use of personal/professional, theoretical, and practical knowledge. If early childhood teachers and the community at large are to value and truly appreciate the nature of the early childhood professional's work, then that work must be carefully documented and promoted. The article concludes by suggesting that the development of professional portfolios may be a strategy that could be used to more effectively represent and honour the nature of teachers' work and provide insight into the practical wisdom of professional practice.

scholarly journals Measuring Early Childhood Educators’ Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior–Related Self-Efficacy: A Systematic Review of Tools

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-467
Author(s):  
Monika Szpunar ◽  
Brianne Bruijns ◽  
Patricia Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Early Childhood Educators ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Risky Play ◽  
Healthy Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Programming

Early childhood educators’ (ECEs) self-efficacy is often predictive of their ability and likelihood of promoting healthy activity behaviors in childcare settings. To date, ECEs’ physical activity and sedentary behavior–related self-efficacy has been measured in a variety of ways in childcare-based research, creating difficulty when comparing across studies. To identify the different approaches ECEs’ self-efficacy is assessed, the current study aimed to compare all existing tools that quantitatively measure physical activity and sedentary behavior–related self-efficacy of pre- and in-service ECEs. Seven online databases were searched for original, peer-reviewed, English-written journal articles. Articles were deemed eligible if they employed a tool which measured physical activity and/or sedentary behavior–related self-efficacy of pre- or in-service ECEs. A total of 16 studies were included in this review, and 13 unique tools were identified. All tools measured task self-efficacy ( n = 13), while only 1 tool measured barrier self-efficacy, and approximately half of the tools ( n = 7; 54%) reported on the validity and reliability. Great variability existed among the self-efficacy items included in the tools; however, common constructs included: teaching/leading physical activity, fundamental movement skill development, and physical activity programming. Very few tools mentioned sedentary behavior ( n = 2) and outdoor/risky play ( n = 2). Given the low number of studies that tested validity and reliability of their self-efficacy tools, the lack of consideration for barrier self-efficacy, and the paucity of tools that fully encompassed physical activity, sedentary behavior, and outdoor play considerations for ECEs, future research is needed to validate a new, reliable tool.

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