Student physical activity, lesson context, and teacher behaviour in preschool movement activity practices

Physical activity greatly enhances preschool children’s overall development (physical, psychological, social, academic, etc.). Therefore, it is important to identify what is happening in the learning environments of preschool children in physical activity practices, who spend a significant part of their day in a controlled and planned environment within a school setting. Given this importance, this study aimed to compare students' levels of physical activity, types of physical activity, curricular lesson context/content, and teachers' involvement and teacher promotion in preschool Movement Activity practices in public and private preschools in Türkiye. The study involved 50 female preschool teachers, 23 working in public schools and 27 in private schools, selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected using the System for Observation of Physical Education Lessons and the System for Observation of Physical Education Lessons for Preschoolers. The results showed that children in both public and private schools spent most of their practice time sitting (public 49.22%, private 47.88%) and standing (public 39.80%, private 42.54%) during Movement Activity practices included in the preschool curriculum. It was also observed that in most of the practice time during the movement activities, the type of physical activity was lying/sitting/standing/squatting (public 81.8%, private 84.27%), the context/content of the practices was gameplaying (public 73.68%, private 63.59%), the teachers’ behavior was observing (public 63.58%, private 71.54%), and the teachers’ interaction did not include promoting physical activity/fitness/motor skills in and out of class. In light of these findings, it is essential to conduct further research and make necessary adjustments to preschool teacher training programs and preschool curricula, which are far from achieving the preschool physical activity goals, to identify possible reasons for preschool children’s inactivity and teachers’ behaviors and practice content that keep students inactive.