The views, collective awareness and staff practices in promoting physical activity in preschools: an analysis of two preschools in Norway with high and low levels of physical activity

The study investigates how kindergarten employees’ views, collective awareness and practices related to physical activity affect children’s  activity levels. The researchers aim to understand which factors contribute to one kindergarten having a higher level of physical activity than another, even when both institutions have access to outdoor areas and resources. The research questions are:

1. How are staff attitudes and values about physical activity reflected in their practice?
2. How do staff organise and facilitate physical activity?
3. What role does staff participation in children’s physical play have on their activity levels?

The results show that in the high-activity-level kindergarten, staff were more active as participants and role models. The organisation of physical activity was also better integrated into the daily routines, and the environment was adapted to encourage active play. This promoted the children’s physical activity in a systematic way. In the low-activity-level kindergarten, staff participation and engagement were more sporadic, and physical activities were less organised.

The data collection consisted of focus group interviews with employees from two kindergartens with different activity levels among the children. Ten employees (with an average age of 36.3) participated from the the low-activity-level kindergarten, and seven employees (with an average age of 39.6) participated from the high-activity-level kindergarten. Participants included kindergarten teachers and assistants who worked full-time. The interviews focused on staff’s views on organising and participating in children’s physical play, as well as their collective practices. Transcriptions were analysed to identify patterns in attitudes and practices, as well as their importance in relation to the children’s activity levels.

Kippe, K., & Lyngstad, I. (2022). The views, collective awareness and staff practices in promoting physical activity in preschools: an analysis of two preschools in Norway with high and low levels of physical activity. Education, 3-13, 50(7), 966–978.

Online year: 2021

Issue year: 2022

Review year: 2022