Browsing by Author "Räsänen, Milana"

Objective of the research was to find out factors affecting attitude among 1st to 6th grade primary school teachers towards adding movement during a school day. The study has multi-method approach as it utilises two different research methods. As research methods I used interviews and questionnaire. Methodically the study focuses on qualitative research, and as a method of analysis I used data-driven content analysis by the theory. I reviewed the quantitive part of the research through circle graphs and cross-referencing methods provided by the SPSS Statistics software. Research material consisted of interviews with six class teachers from three different localities in Finland, and questionnaire to 89 class teachers around Finland. The interviews were conducted on-site at schools or by phone, and responses to the electronic questionnaire were collected via links shared through Facebook. On the basis of this study, it can be stated that there are many factors, both individual and communal, that affect to class teachers' attitude towards adding movement during the school day. The most important individual factors are teacher's personal values, notions and experiences together with teacher's knowhow of movement and it's effects. Out of communal factors, the most affecting ones are the possibilities offered to teachers to add movement, and the generally prevailing though about what movement is and what kind of meaning it has especially in schoolchild's everyday life. Teachers can be divided roughly into three groups based on their attitude towards adding movement: those who already include movement naturally into the school everyday life, those who have positive attitude towards movement but whose means and notions are yet incomplete, and those who have negative attitude towards adding movement. My study gives valuable information about how to affect attitude among school teachers and school teacher students towards adding movement, and the means by which they can be helped to build a school environment that includes movement. The results also bring up the need for both initial and continuing education for the content, effects and methods of adding movement during a school day. It is possible to affect teachers' attitude towards adding movement, but it requires