Browsing by Author "Räikkälä, Marja"

The purpose of the study was to examine how the educated early childhood educators (participants) assess the importance and realization of physical activity. In addition, to examine the participants assessments and perceptions of the opportunities, barriers and suggestions to physical activity in their day care centres. The frame of reference for the study is the broader areas of competence in the Espoo Finnish-language Early Childhood Education Plan 2017 (Espoo Vasu 2017) and limited themes of the National Physical Activity Recommendations for Early Years (OKM 2016: 21). The participants have completed 1,5 year further vocational qualification in early childhood physical activity degree program. The study included features of quantitative and qualitative research and was a case study. The data was based on a survey conducted in February-March 2018 by an electronic questionnaire from participants in the city of Espoo. The response rate was 81%. The questionnaire contained both multiple choice questions and open-ended questions. The data was analyzed by quantitative and qualitative methods according to two broader research questions. Quantitative analysis was performed using SPSS Statics 24 and Excel. Results are expressed as percentages, chi square test, and frequencies. The qualitative part was analyzed by using content analysis. The participants in the study consider it important to include physical activity in the broad competencies of Espoo Vasu 2017 and evaluate the realization of physical activity well and very well within their own group of children. The physical activity of the participants child groups is good and very good. The statistical difference to the day care centres was very sig-nificant. The three most decisive factors in the participants work to promote physical activity are their own attitude, a vocational qualification in child physical activity and a supervisor. The three most important barriers to physical activity assessed by participants were early childhood education staff knowledge and participation, other factors such as time use and the structure of the child group and the learning environment in which all they had suggestions for improvements.