Journal Articles
Fundamental movement skills in Hong Kong kindergartens: A grade-level analysis
- Fundamental movement skills in Hong Kong kindergartens: A grade-level analysis
- Education Sciences, 14(8), 2024
- MDPI
- 2024
-
- Hong Kong
-
- 1997.7 onwards
-
- Pre-Primary Education
- Fundamental movement skills (FMSs) are essential building blocks for children’s physical development and future participation in physical activities. While early childhood curriculum frameworks recognize the importance of teaching FMSs, little research has been conducted to explore actual teaching practices in center-based programs and their variations across different grade levels. The goals of this study were to investigate (1) the frequency of a variety of FMSs in the physical activities conducted by Hong Kong kindergarten teachers, (2) the association among these FMSs based on the frequency of use in the classroom, and (3) potential differences in FMSs across the three grade levels of kindergarten education in Hong Kong. The participants were 526 kindergarten teachers. Descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, and parametric statistical techniques (e.g., one-way ANOVA) were employed to analyze their responses to a survey, in which we asked teachers to report the frequency with which FMSs are involved in their classroom physical activities. Overall, we found that the participants practiced an imbalanced set of FMSs in classrooms. K3 teachers were found to incorporate a wider variety of FMSs into their physical activities compared to K1 and K2 teachers. Through principal component analysis, seven components of activities were identified. K3 teachers were found to implement more activities involving springing, object manipulation, uneven locomotor movements, and agility and coordination. We concluded that there is a need to provide structured opportunities for teachers to better facilitate children’s FMS acquisition. Offering more explicit guidelines and further professional development for teachers is crucial to enhancing this situation. Copyright © 2024 by the authors.
-
- English
- Journal Articles
-
- 22277102
- https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/en/bibs/70b6cc2f
- 2025-02-05
Recent Journal Articles
Modelling trait and state willingness to communicate in a second language: An experience sampling approachJournal Articles
Teaching national identity in post-handover Hong Kong: Pedagogical discourse and re-contextualization in the curriculumJournal Articles
Paradoxes in intercultural communication, acculturation strategies and adaptation outcomes: International students in Hong KongJournal Articles
The efficacy of the Peace Ambassador Project: Promoting children's emotional intelligence to address aggression in the early childhood classroomJournal Articles
Brokering school improvement through a school–university partnership: A longitudinal social network analysis of middle leadership developmentJournal Articles
L2 English listeners’ perceived comprehensibility and attitudes towards speech produced by L3 English learners from ChinaJournal Articles
School students’ aspirations for STEM careers: The influence of self-concept, parental expectations, career outcome expectations, and perceptions of STEM professionalsJournal Articles
Teaching visual arts using virtual exhibitions: An investigation of student usage and impact on learningJournal Articles