https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5882-115X
ABSTRACT
The Norwegian preschool framework plan (Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training [2017. Framework Plan for Kindergartens. https://www.udir.no/globalassets/filer/barnehage/rammeplan/framework-plan-for-kindergartens2-2017.pdf]) establishes that preschools are to be an arena for daily physical activity. Preschool is an important arena for children's physical activity, as many children spend much time in preschool every day. The present study aims to examine the views of staff members and their collective awareness and practice when promoting physical activity for four-to-six-year-olds in two preschools. The findings and discussion in this article are based on focus group interviews in two preschools where the children in one of these institutions (the high-activity preschool) have a higher physical activity level on average than the children in the other preschool (the low-activity preschool). The data is analysed within a sociocultural theory framework, and the analysis reveals that the deliberate and active use of the preschool's outdoor area and the planning and organisation of the activities, which are based on a shared view on the significance of the physical activity, and active adults, who participate in the children's activity and play, are elements that contribute to the physical activity level in the high-activity preschool.
Introduction
Previous research highlights preschool as a strong determinant of children’s physical activity (Finn, Johannsen, and Specker Citation2002; Pate et al. Citation2004; Mikkelsen Citation2011). Preschools have an important role in promoting plans for physical activity that provide space and time for children to be physically active. According to health recommendations, children should be physically active a minimum of 60 min a day with moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (WHO Citation2019). In Norway, almost all children from three- to six-year olds are in preschool most of their waking hours (Norwegian Directorate of Education Citation2019), and the preschools have thus a major influence on children’s physical activity levels.
Norwegian preschools have a strong tradition of playing outside every day (Hagen Citation2015). On average, preschools spend 33% of their time outside in the winter and 67% of their time outside in the summer (Moser and Martinsen Citation2010). Several studies show that children are more physically active when playing outside (Andersen et al. Citation2017; Giske, Tjensvoll, and Dyrstad Citation2010; Herrington and Brussoni Citation2015; Kneeshaw-Price et al. Citation2013; Raustorp et al. Citation2012; Tucker Citation2008). Despite a lot of play outside in preschool, and that outdoor time provides a higher degree of physical activity, several Norwegian studies show that preschool-aged children have low levels of physical activity in preschool compared to the health recommendations (Andersen et al. Citation2017; Danielsen, Mathisen, and Stålesen Citation2019; Giske, Tjensvoll, and Dyrstad Citation2010; Kippe and Lagestad Citation2018; Ofrim Nilsen et al. Citation2019). This is in line with international studies (Berglind et al. Citation2017; Pate et al. Citation2004; Tucker Citation2008). Danielsen, Mathisen, and Stålesen (Citation2019) argue that it is possible to achieve a higher level of activity in preschool with a greater focus on physical activity, and by facilitating and organising more physical activity.
The present study elaborates on a previous investigation of the physical activity level of the four-to-six-year-old children in two preschools, measured using an accelerometer (Kippe and Lagestad Citation2018). The activity measurements showed a higher average activity level among the children in one of the two preschools. In the low-activity preschool, 20.6% of the children fulfilled the health recommendation of 60 min of MVPA daily (50.8 min daily on average). 62.5% of the children met the health recommendation in the high-activity preschool (69.3 min daily on average).
The study also showed that the physical activity levels of the children and the staff were positively correlated, as the staff’s physical activity level was also measured with an accelerometer. On the other hand, there was no correlation found using the measuring methods applied in the analysis of responses to questionnaires relating to individual staff attitudes, initiatives and participation and the physical activity level of the children (Fossdal et al. Citation2018). This is in contrast to other studies, which show that positive encouragement and involvement by preschool staff is associated with higher activity levels in children (Brown et al. Citation2009; Gubbels et al. Citation2011; Mikkelsen Citation2011). The findings in the studies of Kippe and Lagestad (Citation2018) and Fossdal et al. (Citation2018) indicate that there are factors in addition to the preschool staff’s individual attitudes, initiatives and participation that affect the children’s physical activity level in the preschool. The findings indicate that the preschool staff’s common views and practice influence the children’s activity level and that an educational environment that has physical activity as an elevated value in the preschool, promotes physical activity for children systematically.
The study seeks to answer the following research question: how do the views of the preschool staff on physical activity, and their collective awareness and practice, relate to the physical activity level of four-to-six-year-olds in two preschools with high and low average physical activity levels?
The preschool staff’s view on physical activity is expressed through statements about initiating, organising and participating in children's physical activity. Collective awareness refers to the preschool staff’s values, typical behaviour and awareness of physical activity in the preschool programme (Binder Citation2018). Preschool practice is about using experience, make experiences, ‘ways of doing things’, or habits and routines in relation to physical activity for the 4–6-year-old children.
In the following, some research on factors that facilitate and create physical activity in preschool will be outlined briefly, as well as we will explain a socio-cultural theory framework for the study.
Previous research and theory framework
Previous research shows that preschools, wherein the physical activity is well organised and integrated with the daily schedule, increases the total physical activity of the children (Bower et al. Citation2008; Cauwenberghe et al. Citation2013; Dønnestad, Kleppe, and Strandmyr Citation2015; Kain et al. Citation2017; Vale et al. Citation2011). Organised and teacher-led physical activity with educational goals ensures that a greater proportion of the children fulfils the recommendations of 60 min physical activity daily (Nicaise, Kahan, and Sallis Citation2011; Olesen et al. Citation2013).
In connection with adult encouragement in preschool, Bugge and Froberg (Citation2015) highlighted that preschool staff daily initiated or joined personally in activities that made the children breathe hard. Bugge and Froberg (Citation2015) also highlighted that children were influenced by the physical activity level in the preschool they attended. This is supported by Bower et al. (Citation2008), who shows that children in preschools, wherein the staff participated in the bodily play and positively encouraged physical activity in many ways, had a higher and more intense activity level compared to preschools with a less supportive climate. Mikkelsen (Citation2011) shows that a preschool with staff, who have very positive attitudes to physical activity and who focus on promoting physical activity, creates a higher physical activity level among the children than a preschool without similar focus and staff.
Previous research also shows that a strong public authority and institutional leadership can put focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle for the children (Mikkelsen Citation2011). In addition to the staff’s collective intentions and values, research shows that the attitudes of each staff member have an impact on physical activity among the children in the preschool. Brown et al. (Citation2009) found that adult involvement in terms of encouragement, praise and recognition may affect children’s activity levels in a positive direction. Research also shows that if the children have time for free play and environments that invite them into physical activity, especially outdoor playgrounds and gyms, it will increase the children’s activity (Pate et al. Citation2004).
In the following, we will explain the socio-cultural theory framework for the study, which elucidates that physical activity is linked to specific situations and often takes place in interaction with others in a preschool. We will also argue that the level of the children’s physical activity is related to a culture of collaboration and unity among the staff members in preschool to promote physical activity.
First, we will relate to Jørgensen (Citation2010), who claims that physical activity in preschool is situational and contextual, which means that the physical activity is linked to specific situations and often takes place in interaction with others. From this socio-cultural perspective, the link between the collective and individual levels is crucial. The notion of the link between the collective and individual levels is supported by Berger and Luckmann (Citation1967) and Lave (Citation1991), who argue that there is a mutual influence between the individual and the collective level in the learning and progress of an organisation. In preschool, these links exist between the staff members and between staff members and the leaders.
Another element in the socio-cultural framework is that the preschool staff’s learning and progress take place in a participatory framework called situated practice (Lave and Wenger Citation1991). In situated learning theory, the staff members’ knowledge and skills are enhanced by participating in the practice as a peripheral participant. In this practice, knowledge and skills are gradually developed. The preschool staff participate in situated practice where they move from peripheral participation towards full – or legitimate – participation in the pedagogical culture. As legitimate participants, preschool staff think and act in accordance with the preschool's goals of physical activity for the children.
A third element in the socio-cultural framework is that physical activity is often created by individuals in an educational environment in the preschool. The educational environment of the preschool has active and co-creating subjects, who both initiate and create activity. This means that individual preschool staff may learn how to organise and lead physical activity by participating in an educational environment where physical activity is intentionally and educationally planned. The individual preschool staff may also affect the environment through ideas of physical active play they have themselves, and participate in the children’s physical activity.
However, before all the staff members have reached the point of a collective awareness of physical activity for the children, the staff as a group have to be in a process, which may or may not end in a shared view on physical activity. A process that succeeds, can be explained with the staff members’ endorsement of a common symbol (the value of physical activity), identifying with it through collective ways of acting, and thus performing coordinated professional roles (Heggen Citation2008). In relation to professional roles, Angelo (Citation2016) highlights the importance of professionalism as a morally obliging attitude. This means that a ‘professional language’ must be made available to all staff members. The ‘professional language’ is of great importance to reflect on educational practice. Angelo (Citation2016) argues that practice becomes better if expertise and quality are used for discussion, analysis and change. In this process, it is a balance between support and challenge in order to be able to examine basic conditions regarding practice. In addition, each staff member’s professionalism will be developed as a personal commitment perspective (Angelo Citation2016). In this perspective, the competences of the profession do not exist independently, but rather exist as successful results in practice and through the knowledge about the practice that the members of the profession possess and have the opportunity to use (Wackerhausen Citation2017).
On the other hand, it should also be noted that professional ideals, attitudes and actions do not always correspond. In preschool, this may be seen as preschool staff acting in terms of their own preferences in spontaneous reactions, rather than following others’ expectations of what to do (Madland Citation2013). Preschool teachers and assistants work in a common work environment in a preschool, but they have different training and preconditions to act coordinated. They work together and do the same tasks, but they may have different preferences for physical activity, which could lead to different educational practices and thus different conditions for the children to be active.
Materials and methods
Focus group interviews (Ennis and Chen Citation2012) have been carried out with the staff in the two preschools, where the children in one of them have a higher average physical activity level than the children in the other. The focus group interview has been used to help the research participants remember different incidents or to elaborate on descriptions of incidents or experiences the group members have in common (Postholm Citation2010). In the spirit of transparency and to ensure the credibility of our findings, we will give information about the focus group participants, the data collection and data analysis below.
The focus group interview was structured as an open semiformal interview guide with the following three overarching topics (1) ‘The preschool staff’ with sub-questions about which factors they believe create physical activity, their role in children’s physical activity, the degree to which they encourage, initiate and participate in children’s physical play, (2) ‘organisation of physical activity’ with sub-questions about the degree to which they plan and organise the physical activity, which type of physical activities they plan, duration of activities, whether the activities take place outside or inside and (3) ‘physical environment’ with sub-questions about the size of an area outside and inside, in which areas the children prefer to play, which other areas outside the preschool they use for physical play.
The aim of the interviews was thus not to find the preschool staff’s individual opinions, but to get the preschool’s collective awareness of facilitating, organising and promoting physical activity for children in preschool.
The focus group participants
The research participants from the two preschools were both preschool teachers and assistants. They were full-time staff and they had participated in the measurements of physical activity. In the low-activity preschool, ten of the staff members (average age of 36.3 years) participated in the focus group interview. In the high-activity kindergarten, all seven staff members (average age of 39.6 years) participated. The two preschools were relatively large with 34 children each. In the low-activity preschool, four of the staff members were trained preschool teachers, whereas three of the staff members in the high-activity preschool were trained preschool teachers.
Both preschools have a rural location with access to appropriate areas for excursions, for example, physical activity play in the forest. The low-activity preschool has an outdoor area of 5500 m2 and the high-activity preschool has 2654 m2, which means that the low-activity preschool has a double outdoor area compared to the high activity preschool.
Context
The focus interviews were conducted at the preschools in a room with only the moderator and research participants in attendance. The interviews were conducted after the preschool’s closing time. The participants did not receive the interview protocol before the interview. The interviews, with a duration of respectively 38 min in the high-activity preschool and 42 min in the low-activity preschool, were recorded. Data from the interviews were transcribed using the NVIVO 11 software. The participants talked freely and also much with each other. The moderator took a secluded role. All participants were encouraged to speak. After the analysis, the interview transcripts were submitted to the research participants for approval to ensure reliability. Thus, we avoided the problem of participants not recognising their own experiences (Kara Citation2015). The preschool staff were fully informed about the procedures before consenting to the study. The study was approved by NSD (Norwegian Centre for Research Data).
Processing and analysing the data
A comparative analysis of the content in the focus group interviews was undertaken (Kvale and Brinkmann Citation2015). The content analysis reduced the data material to theoretical labels, and then we developed these theoretical labels based on qualities and dimensions in the material, for example, qualities and dimensions such as ‘adult as a physical active role model’ (Corbin and Strauss Citation2015). The social interactions between the participants in the interview were taken into account as the aim was to bring out nuances of meaning from the discussion in social situations in the focus groups (Kara Citation2015). The discussions were analysed to find statements that could represent a shared view on physical activity among the staff in each preschool. Each participant was encouraged to speak. Some participants talked a lot, which meant that the moderator had to ask direct questions to other participants to make sure all their opinions were expressed. The data material was processed and analysed in two steps, which are described in the next sections.
Step 1 Reducing the data and meaning condensation
Already during transcription, reflections about views on physical activity, collective awareness and practice were noted. Through careful reading of the transcribed interviews, a first impression of the content of data was formed. Thoughts about the social and emotional aspects of the interview situation were noted (Kvale and Brinkmann 2015). Preliminary reflections and ideas about the themes that were discussed in the focus groups were made, based on the readings of excerpts from the interviews. The first step reduced the data and placed statements and citations in meaning units, according to the interview guide. The immediate meaning was compressed into shorter sentences.
Step 2 Theoretical labels and interpretation
In the second step, theoretical labels emerged from the data in the meaning units. For example, a theoretical label about the adult role emerged from these excerpts from the data material:
There is a tradition for being active with the children.
We are so flexible that we can take the children around and take a walk with them and ski and be physically active. Tobogganing in the winter, too. Then we are adults and children together.
Based on excerpts from the high activity and low activity preschool, the material was analysed and interpreted within the themes ‘the role and practice of the preschool staff’, ‘organisation of physical activity’ and ‘environment for physical activity’, which will be outlined below.
Findings
This section will have a brief retelling of findings within the three themes in the study, first for the low-active preschool and then for the high-active preschool.
The role and practice of the preschool staff
The research participants in the low-activity preschool state quite uniformly that there are differences between the staff members. Each staff member has different boundaries, but an attempt should be made to establish common rules. Occasionally the children also take into consideration that the staff members are different. About their roles, they highlight that their role is to create ideas about activity and play for the children. Then the children do not need the adult to contribute so much. They answer that when adults start running, the children will run after them. The staff state that their job is to make it easy for the children to start an activity, see the children’s need for activity, and to set a good example of the physical activity. The staff members state that ‘we discuss more the overall adult role, not adult role especially in relation to physical activity’. They respond that they believe they have probably changed their way of working in the preschool and that they have more focus on being physically active together with the children. They state: We have become more aware of the importance of physical activity, we talk about what we should do and we that it with us into everyday life.
The high-activity preschool staff responds that it is important to participate in the activity. It is also important to inspire the children. They underline the importance of helping children to participate in physical active play with other children. As one of the staff stated: We are present and can guide them in and out if needed. In the afternoon, when all the toys are cleared away, the children need help to be activated. Then the staff’s role is to help to organise the children. This refers both to what the children ask about, but also what the adults can think of. They say that they basically offer something each hour, and say about their own role as a member of staff that it is important to show that they also dare to try. They skate and go skiing with the children, and reflect that it is quite important for staff to do this. When it comes to the balance between physical activity and other activities, the staff say that play fighting and play wrestling are just as important as being read to. They respond that they need to give good reasons for the activities and things they choose to do. On working in a preschool they state that there is a tradition for being active with the children because it is not an option to sit or to remain sitting. They think that it is physically demanding to work in a preschool. About trust between children and staff, they point out that a child can do things alone if he or she tells the adults first. This is about trust. One of the staff members said: Today it was like, now I haven’t seen them for a while, have you seen them? No, then I’ll go look, and then they’ll be right down there.
Organisation of physical activity
In the low-activity preschool the staff respond that they have a rotating schedule across the groups, and they have different activity groups, such as an obstacle course. Each week 30% attend the older section for children. They also have playgroups with yoga for 20 min before the children can play a little bit afterward. This is done according to the rotation schedule so that five groups take turns at this. Hence there are five weeks between each time the children do this. This means that organised physical activity involving all children rarely happens. One of the participants expressed that it was important to ensure organised physical activity weekly. I think we take care of this through weekly trips. Furthermore, they also state that they have very much organised and unorganised soccer play and that this is something they should have more of and do better. Using the day and outdoor play to organise for example the game ‘The shark is coming’ is an opportunity to get better at organising physical activity. Organised activity can occur spontaneously, but it depends on the staff who are present. If they start an activity the children will participate. They also state that they cannot guarantee that everyone joins in. But good play will not be interrupted. Their rationale is that the social aspect is so important. Activities are organised when the children play in small groups alone, and when there is no organisation of outdoor play. They also said that some children are very physical active and we have some kids we need to calm down. They get tired of it.
In the high-activity preschool the staff say that they are so flexible that they can take the children around in the local neighbourhood. They also say that they may encourage the children to start various physical activities. Furthermore, they said: It is a tradition to be in activity with the children. When it comes to organising activities, they organise and see opportunities to go for a walk in the woods with the children, adding that the children then go running around and explore the possibilities for playing in the woods, such as role play. The staff tell that the children feel safe in the woods. The children have role play, climb rocks and zip-line. The staff point out that if the adults show even just a little interest in starting something, the children generally find that everything is fun. This is the result of what the children ask for and what the adults think of. They believe that play fighting is just as important as being read to. We push some children who don't want to participate play fighting. Dare to feel it. They state that it is about how the environment is facilitated and how organisation offer opportunities to be physically active. We organise every day. When it comes to individual children, they say that some need to train motor skills and some are given tasks. They think in terms of progression when they give challenges in the physical activity. Some girls do not want to be physically active. They need to be pushed.
Environment for physical activity
In the low-activity preschool, the staff say that they have ample space and that there are opportunities for being physically active. The outdoor terrain in the preschool is, however, different from what is found in the woods or by the sea. When playing in the wood the staff members answered: the children get a slightly different game, a little more physical or bodily. They say that the children explore more. As part of the physical environment, they also mention play equipment and playground installations. The children are very good at playing themselves outdoor. It is not many of the children just walking around. When asked about taking day trips the low-activity, preschool staff say: we are on trips one day a week. We rather have more soccer, running and sports.
In the high-activity preschool, the staff say that the area and design of the outdoor environment influence the children’s physical activity. They say that they appeal to the children to be outside as much as possible and that this will depend on what activities are on offer. This preschool has a special staff group that is responsible for the outdoor environment. The staff at the high-activity preschool say that they use the whole area, and also have two days each week when the bicycles are not taken out. Then the children need to find something else to do than sit on the bike. Their rationale for this is the importance of variation of play. They answered: we supported the offer of swim training for the six-year olds. Furthermore, they stated: we visit the other preschools as well. We also take trips in addition to the planned trips.
Discussion
We will discuss our findings in relation to the role of the staff’s own activity and participation in physical activity, the importance of organising the activity and, finally, cultivating an educational environment for physical activity in preschool.
Active and participative adults in the preschool
Our analysis shows that the staff members in the high-activity preschool have a focus on active participating with the children and to inspire the children to take part in physical activities. This finding corresponds with the study of Bugge and Froberg (Citation2015), who highlighted the importance of initiate or participate personally in activities that have the children breathe hard. This may help to extend the duration of the physical activity. The staff in the high-activity preschool also place trust in the children and the children’s physical activity level may be increased by this trust factor. The finding indicates that there is a strong obligation for physical activity for the staff in the high-activity preschool (Angelo Citation2016) and that this is followed up on an everyday basis in the preschool. In the high-activity preschool, the staff usually guide each other on participation in physical activity, which may be an adding element to the high activity levels of the children. This follow-up is an indication of what Angelo (Citation2016) calls strong reflection frameworks that challenge relationships and where it is legitimate to challenge each other to be physically active. It may also indicate that staff members without education are being helped by trained preschool teachers to become legitimate participants (Lave Citation1991). Furthermore, a dialectical relationship between children and staff in physical activity is visible through the statement from the staff that activity is a result of what the children ask for and what the staff offer. In a situation where children and staff are engaged in physical play together the here and now (play and care) are taken care of. At the same time the staff, with their planned activity, will be oriented towards the children’s future (learning and forming) (Børhaug and Bøe Citation2018). This ensures a holistic and integrated pedagogy (Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training Citation2017).
In the low-activity preschool, the role of the staff member is less regulated and obliging when it comes to physical activity. This may mean that the physical activity can be reduced on days or at times of the day if the staff, who initiate or participate in physical activity with the children, are not present. This may lead to the children’s physical activity level is not being highlighted as one of the most key elements in the educational activity in the preschool, rather being left to random practice. The analysis also reveals that the educational environment and the staff’s practice are related to their collective awareness of physical activity. We will argue that preschool staff members should see themselves as part of, and they should commit to, the educational environment, through a collective awareness and practice to promote children’s physical activity level. In the preschool with the lowest physical activity, they need to develop their view on physical activity and give the work with physical activity a higher value than they have so far. In the low-activity preschool, the educational environment needs to develop toward a common culture and adapt to common values of physical activity. This finding in our analysis may indicate that the low-activity preschool has not established an adequately shared view on physical activity and that there is a lack of what Angelo (Citation2016) calls ‘professionalism as a morally obliging attitude’ among the staff. The staff in the low-activity preschool are more focused on enabling physical activity than on participating in the children’s physically active play, and it appears they feel less obligation to be active and participating adults. From a socio-cultural perspective, non-participating staff will reduce the staff’s possibility of a dialectical relationship with the children. Participation in children’s play enables the staff to respond to children’s interests and together create learning situations with children that are emerging and meaningful for everyone (Hussain Citation2018). At the same time, physical inactive staff members’ in the low activity preschool can enhance their knowledge and skills by practically participating in physical active play.
The importance of organising physical activity for the entire group of children
Our analysis reveals that the staff in the high-activity preschool are more aware of organising physical activity than the staff in the low-activity preschool. This finding corresponds with a number of studies, which show that organised physical activity increases the physical activity level of the children (Bower et al. Citation2008; Cauwenberghe et al. Citation2013; Dønnestad, Kleppe, and Strandmyr Citation2015; Vale et al. Citation2011). The high-activity preschool staff are more flexible and have opportunities to adapt to the needs of the children (Digre and Haugberg Citation2016). They also think progression and adapting tasks to each individual child. The high-activity preschool is pervaded by a flexible educational environment where the staff are knowledgeable and see opportunities to influence the children’s physical activity. This agrees also with Wackerhausen (Citation2017), who claims that the competences of the profession do not exist independently, but rather exist as successful results in practice and through the knowledge about the practice that the members of the profession possess and have the opportunity to use.
Furthermore, the analysis reveals that the high-activity preschool provides opportunities for ample physical activity, while the organisation of activities in the low-activity preschool appears to be somewhat haphazard as the staff also say that the children’s activities come about spontaneously and that they cannot guarantee that everyone joins in. This finding is in line with Børhaug et al. (Citation2018), who argue that children have a lot of leeway in their play. There are indicators that suggest the preschool teacher does not do much to expand or develop the play or help the children to collaborate on and explore the content of the play. Organising provides opportunities for group activity in situated learning situations where all children are included. From a socio-cultural perspective, group activity opens the dialectical relationship between the social world and the individual engaged in the activity. According to Miranda et al. (Citation2016), group activity stimulates greater involvement in play than individual play or parallel play, providing better results on variables related to learning and development in preschool children.
In connection with the issue of organising, we will add that a systematic approach in the educational work counteracts random practice and creates predictability, continuity and progression in the content, which implicates that constructing and nourishing a culture of collaboration and unity in the practice will be important. If all the staff commit to a common culture where physical activity has high value, a higher level of organising physical activity may be reached. And this will in turn contribute to including all the children, also those with the lowest level of physical activity.
The low-activity preschool, however, seems to have a slightly less active and reflected attitude on organising physical activity for the entire group of children, which is essential if all the children are to have sufficient physical activity while they are in preschool. This could help to explain why the low-activity preschool has a lower average value for the children’s MVPA compared to the children in the high-activity preschool.
Collective awareness and educational environment that promotes physical activity clearly
Our analysis indicates that the staff members in the high-activity preschool are more aware of the opportunities in the physical environment and of the importance of facilitating for the children’s play and activity. This finding agrees with Pate et al. (Citation2004), who maintains that the time children have for free play in facilitated environments (outdoor playgrounds and gyms) is important for their physical activity. It is also in line with Nicaise, Kahan, and Sallis (Citation2011), who found that open spaces, circular tracks, loose equipment in the form of objects, balls and vehicles with wheels were strongly linked with MVPA. The high-activity preschool suggests that facilitation and changing of the environment are prioritised. An exciting and challenging outdoor area with various places for adventures may give the children impulses to initiate physically active play and also stimulate their curiosity, which is an important motivator for learning. The high-activity preschool finds opportunities to take the children for walks in the woods. Walks that are part of the practical work in the preschool create enthusiasm, positive emotions and motivation for physical activity (Bjørgen and Svendsen Citation2015). Within the issue of the environment for physical activity, the analysis highlights the significance of the educational environment and professional practice to promote physical activity among the children in preschool. It also underlines that the preschool staff should have a common view of facilitating and organising the physical activity and to participate and help the children to play and be active instead of letting physical activity be spontaneous and dependent on personal adult interests. To avoid random practice, it is important to create and cultivate an educational environment that has physical activity as an elevated value. The preschool’s emphasis on staff involvement and efforts to promote physical activity for children is important, as this may determine the children’s physical activity level.
In the low-activity preschool, the importance of having good space for play and the children’s activities is also pointed out. For both preschools, the outdoor space may contribute to the children having physical activity on the MVPA level, as both preschools have large outdoor areas. However, the study points out that having a large activity area might not be enough for the children to fulfil the health recommendation of 60 min of physical activity on the MVPA level daily. The preschool must also have active adults who initiate, stimulate and participate in physical activity outdoors. For the low-activity preschool, more active use of the outdoor area and trips in the local neighbourhood would require the staff’s engagement and willingness to change. In the educational environment in the preschool it may appear that the staff have to change their perception of themselves as practitioners, which would lead to a closer connection between the requirements of the practice and their own preferences. Even if the preschool also has staff members, who have preschool teacher training, the discussions about teacher training, or practising the preschool teacher profession, have to be qualified, and this discussion does not only refer to expressing an understanding of the profession, but also to challenging professional self-perceptions in the field (Angelo Citation2016). A professional perspective has expectations about frequent professional development and innovation (Børhaug et al. Citation2018). Different ways of explaining one’s own expertise and duties may be thematized in collective reflections. In this process, staff members without preschool teacher education participate as peripheral participants. Through collective reflections and participants in situated practice, they will become legitimate participants in the educational environment (Lave and Wenger Citation1991). This may contribute to developing nuanced and precise reflection frameworks for professional development in the preschool, such as nuanced discussions on tensions and differing opinions, in this case, the view on physical activity (Angelo Citation2016). Collective reflection may help to raise the awareness of the entire staff to the importance of working to a plan, as well as with structure and dedication for more physical activity. This will contribute to their professional development with greater awareness of how organising physical activity and physically active participation in children’s active play will increase their level of physical activity. This is also in line with Heggen (Citation2008) who explains this with the staff member's endorsement of a common symbol (the value of physical activity), identifying with it through collective ways of acting, and thus performing coordinated professional roles.
Conclusion
The study has findings that increase the knowledge about what creates and stimulates physical activity in preschool. The findings indicate that the high-activity preschool has an educational environment that is adapted to common values where a culture has been nurtured for physical activity. One of the key findings is that the staff in the high-activity preschool feel that they have stronger obligations relating to being active and be participating adults and that active and participating adults influence children’s physical activity on the MVPA level. Another finding is that organising physical activity and use of the outdoor area is important to reach a physical activity level of 60 min daily MVPA. The analysis also reveals that a common view of physical activity in preschool means having a professional collective awareness that is affirming for all staff and where awareness leads to collective action. Our analysis shows that the collective awareness in the high-activity preschool has endorsed a common way of thinking about facilitating and promoting the children’s physical activity. Even if the varied backgrounds and earlier work experiences of the staff lead them to identify with different ways of acting and performing their professional roles differently, our study indicates that there is a close relation between the views on physical activity among the preschool staff, their collective awareness and practice and children’s physical activity. The importance of physical activity in preschool and good pedagogical practice with the children is crucial for four-to-six-year-olds in helping them to fulfil the health recommendations for 60 min of daily physical activity.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
References
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