Potentials of physical activity promotion in preschools – an overview of results of an ethnographic observation

Abstract

This article addresses exemplary differences between preschools with systematic physical activity (PA) programmes and preschools without PA programmes in Germany. Two preschools from each group were visited in the context of a focused ethnographic observation to examine the educational practice, PA and social behaviour of preschool children. The observation showed that children engage in PA in preschool under certain conditions (e.g. a structure providing a wide range of PA offerings that can be selected according to interest). Potentials of PA promotion can also be seen in the areas of rule-teaching and the promotion of self-confidence in children. A structure-providing policy in conjunction with the provision of exercise rooms and the promotion of children’s independence seem to have special influence on the social behaviour of children. Promoting children’s independence serves to strengthen the children’s sense of self-efficacy and may contribute to improving their social skills and reducing the burden on teachers.

Keywords:

• preschool
• physical activity (PA)
• social behaviour
• qualitative methods
• ethnography

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all of the preschools that participated in this study.

Additional information

Funding

The research project ‘Physical activity and social behaviour of preschool children – factors influencing health resources within the context of preschool and family’ was funded by the Lower Saxony Institute for Early Childhood Education and Development (nifbe) from 10/2010 to 12/2012. It was initiated by Leibniz Universität Hannover (Project Manager: Prof. Dr Rolf Werning) and Hannover Medical School (Project Manager: Prof. Dr Ulla Walter) and implemented in cooperation with the Goethe University Frankfurt (Project Manager: Prof. Dr Michael Urban).