BARRIERS PERCEIVED BY PRE-SCHOOL TEACHERS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT EDUCATION

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. The difficulties perceived by preschool teachers to develop movement education (EM) are analyzed. The basis for the gestation of proposals that optimize the development of the movement area is established to optimize the integral development of the child. METHOD. A methodological triangulation has been employed with quantitative techniques —a validated questionnaire on health education through movement education in preschool centers, administered to a sample of 349 teachers— and qualitative —a focal group with 20 preschool teachers. Their discussions were analyzed with the support of NVivo 9 software. The categories were validated through expert judgment. Cohen’s Kappa was used to measure reliability between experts. RESULTS. Seven out of ten teachers report difficulties in teaching movement education and 24% of focus group discussions allude to these difficulties. Twenty-seven significant relationships are detected between personal and contextual characteristics and barriers. DISCUSSION. The excessive number of students, the lack of material resources, the lack of facilities in preschool centers and the poor training of teachers are more perceived difficulties. A high number of students and teacher motivation can be solved with the help of other professionals and conducting split groupings and through initial and ongoing training in movement education adapted to the needs of teachers. There are significant differences in the perception of difficulties depending on the existence of movement classrooms and sports facilities in the center as well as on whether the center is a rural one, while no differences were found in relation to the age of the teacher.