Professionsidentitet i bevægelse

Author
Munksgaard, K. F., Haandbæk Schmidt, C. & Skovgaard, T.
Source
Forskning i Pædagogers Profession og Uddannelse, 3(1):68-86
Year
2019

Purpose

The article investigates how kindergarten teachers understand and develop their professional identity when influenced by communities of practice, where special focus is placed on movement and physical activity. The research questions are: 1) What impact does movement and physical activity have on kindergarten teachers’ development of professional identity? 2) How do communities of practice influence kindergarten teachers’ development of self-efficacy, affective commitment and motivation?

Result

Through mapping theories and interviews with kindergarten teachers, the authors claim that the professional identity of kindergarten teachers in relation to physical activity must be understood through the concepts of self-efficacy, motivation and affective commitment, and that these elements are developed in the communities of practice that the kindergarten teacher is a part of. When kindergarten teachers have a high degree of self-efficacy, are motivated and affectively committed, it has a positive effect on their professional identity and the practice of physical activity in kindergarten.

Design

The researchers have mapped theories about the development of kindergarten teachers’ professional identity in relation to movement and physical activity inspired by the realist review method. With the theoretical findings from the mapping forming a background, interviews were also conducted with four Danish kindergarten teachers to test whether findings from the theory were confirmed by kindergarten practice. The selected kindergarten teachers participated in the municipal initiative called ‘Active Children in ECEC’. The project aimed to promote physical activity in kindergarten children, and required, among other things, that kindergarten staff should carry out various physical activities with the children.

References

Munksgaard, K. F., Haandbæk Schmidt, C. & Skovgaard, T. (2019). "Professionsidentitet i bevægelse". Forskning i Pædagogers Profession og Uddannelse, 3(1):68-86.