Primary teachers’ perceptions of movement integration in academic lessons
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v75.117151Keywords:
Barriers, Facilitators, primary education, focus groups, movement integrationAbstract
Introduction: In recent decades, physical activity during childhood has declined, leading to an increase in sedentary behaviour and the risk of obesity. In Spain, 62.3% of children do not meet the minimum recommended levels of daily physical activity. Schools are crucial environments for promoting movement during the school day.
Aim: The initial phase of the MovIn-Lessons project aimed to analyse the knowledge and perceptions of primary teachers and Physical Education teachers regarding movement integration as a teaching strategy in primary education.
Methods: The study, which followed a qualitative approach and a descriptive-interpretative design, used focus groups as the main data collection technique. Thirty-six active teachers from Catalonia participated, with experience in teaching Mathematics, English Language, Natural Sciences, and Physical Education. They were organised into five focus groups comprising 5 and 9 participants. A semi-structured interview was developed based on the socio-ecological model, exploring knowledge, prior experiences, barriers, facilitators, and the role of the Physical Education teacher in movement integration.
Results: In Catalonia, teachers are unfamiliar with this methodology and perceive external barriers such as limited space, curriculum constraints, and a lack of family support. However, they identify facilitators, including training, the leadership of the Physical Education teacher, and the teacher’s positive attitude.
Conclusions: The study concludes that teacher awareness of physical activity and school leader-ship team are key to successfully implementing movement integration. All participants agreed that Physical Education teachers should act as advisors and trainers within the educational centre, as they are regarded as experts in physical activity.
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