Teaching Methodologies and School Organization in Early Childhood Education and Its Association with Physical Activity

Upper crossed syndrome in secondary school students: A mixed-method study

Objective

The study objectives were to identify the prevalence of upper crossed syndrome (UCS) and its associated factors in a population of Spanish adolescents, and to explore these associations through focus groups.

Methods

The study used a sequential explanatory mixed method design. The quantitative phase consisted of a cross-sectional study in which 45 students underwent photogrammetry measurements and evaluations with the Kiddo-KINDL and VISA-TEEN questionnaires. Subsequently, several focus groups were conducted to discuss the quantitative results.

Results

The results indicated a 37.8% prevalence of UCS, a 48.9% prevalence of forward head posture (FHP) and an 80% prevalence of forward shoulder posture (FSP). A positive FSP was indicated by an angle represented by the intersection of the line between the midpoint of the humerus and the spinous process of C7 of <52°. FSP was significantly higher in boys (mean [M] = 43.59, standard deviation [SD] = 6.9) than in girls (M = 47.98, SD = 6.33; p < 0.05). Boys showed significant moderate associations of FSP with body mass index (BMI) (r = -0.48, p < 0.05) and hygiene habits (r = -0.46, p < 0.05), and of FHP with worse use of technology (r = 0.53, p < 0.05). Those with UCS showed significant differences in school performance (M = 47.22, SD = 8.33, p < 0.05). Analysis of the qualitative results led to the identification of 33 codes and five categories.

Conclusions

UCS was associated with factors such as BMI, school performance, use of technology and physical activity. Correcting posture in adolescence was generally believed to be necessary. Physical exercise and postural health were considered highly important among adolescents.

Relationship between Learning and Psychomotor Skills in Early Childhood Education

Psychomotor skills are, among others, an aspect particularly valuable for structuring the teaching-learning process of infant schoolchildren. For this reason, a study was carried out with the aim of describing and comparing the socio-demographic, psychomotor, and learning levels of schoolchildren in the second stage of infant education. Ninety-five pupils from the second cycle of infant education in the capital of Granada took part in this study. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the movement assessment battery for children-2 (MABC-2), and the preschool learning behaviour scale (PLBS) were used to collect data. The main results show that manual dexterity appears as the main motor factor and similar figures in the three dimensions of learning behaviours. On the other hand, balance and learning behaviours were higher in 6-year-old schoolchildren. In terms of gender, girls obtained higher values for the level of the learning behaviour variables. A positive correlation was found between the dimensions of learning and motor activity.

How Does the Amount of a Physical Education Intervention Affect Gross Motor Coordination in Early Childhood?

Little is known about the dose-response of physical education interventions on motor coordination in preschoolers. Our aim was to investigate whether the development of motor skills changed depending on different amounts of a physical education program (PEP) in children aged 3-5 years. One hundred forty-five children were recruited from kindergartens and randomly divided into a control group (CG, n = 28), which did not perform any PEP, and two intervention groups, which performed 4 h/week (I1, n = 78) and 10 h/week (I2, n = 39) of a PEP for 16 weeks. Each lesson was set in the form of a programmed game in order to produce fun, thus increasing enthusiasm for participation. Before and after the intervention, locomotor and object control skills and the gross motor development quotient were assessed with the Italian version of the gross motor development test. Both intervention groups showed a significant increase in the motor skills compared with the control group. Moreover, the level of performance was significantly higher after 10 h/week compared to 4 h/week. These findings can be useful for standardizing PEPs in preschool settings so that they can be applied by teachers for planning effective programs for developing motor skills in early childhood.

The relationship between physical activity, physical fitness and fatness in 3-6 years old boys and girls: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA), fatness and fitness in children and teenagers have been associated with short and long-term health benefits. However, little research analyzing these variables focuses on the preschool education stage. Thus, the objective of this research is to study the relationship between PA, fatness and fitness in 3-6 years old boys and girls.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study includes 150 boys and girls at age between 3 and 6 years. Fatness and fitness were assessed using a PREFIT (FITness testing in PREschool children) battery as well as the sit and reach test. PA levels were measured using accelerometers for 7 days.

RESULTS

Higher PA levels were related to better fitness values. In addition, differences were found in the PA levels between boys and girls. However, PA subcomponents were not related to fatness. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in fitness tests between underweight, normal-weight and over-weight children, except in handgrip strength.

CONCLUSIONS

The few studies that have analyzed the relationship between fatness, fitness and PA in preschool have revealed controversial results. However, our study is in accordance with the majority of studies which prove that PA is associated with better fitness performances in preschool children. Since fitness is an important indicator of health, schools and parents should encourage children to practice more daily PA, especially girls, who are less active than boys. However, the discrepancy about the relationship between PA and fatness between the results of the different research highlights the necessity of carrying out further studies that analyze the relationship between these 3 variables separately in each age group (3, 4, 5 and 6 years). This is due to the fact that associations were stronger in older children rather than in younger children.

Are Physically Active Breaks in School-Aged Children Performed Outdoors? A Systematic Review

(1) Background: Children spend an ever-increasing amount of time performing sedentary behaviors, and an important part of their daily life is at school. Learning in an outdoor environment improves children’s physical activity levels, and their cognitive and social spheres. Furthermore, physically active breaks are a solution to reduce sedentary behaviors and improve well-being and academic performance. The study evaluated the published literature on physically active breaks during school hours and explored (a) if the interventions were proposed in an outdoor context and (b) the outcomes of these interventions. (2) Methods: This review collected 31,559 articles from different electronic databases. After the screening, the results were analyzed narratively. (3) Results: 41 studies have been included in the analysis. As reported by the results, most of the interventions took place in the classroom, and only three studies were performed outside. A common aspect of all studies is the feasibility of active breaks, assessing positive outcomes. (4) Conclusions: Physically active outdoor breaks are poorly adopted, highlighting the necessity for deeper study on this topic. Although the protocols considered present differences, generally breaks increase physical activity levels, present positive learning outcomes, and improve social well-being. Furthermore, they are sustainable in terms of time, cost, and effort of the teacher.

Evaluation of a Proposal for Movement Integration in the Teaching–Learning Process in Early Childhood Education

Physical activity is essential to child development, but studies show that children are increasingly inactive. Due to schools being considered privileged environments to promote physical activity, the aim of this study was to increase the physical activity performed by early childhood education children during the school day by integrating movement into academic content and analyze this process. The amount and intensity of physical activity performed by a group of 24 3–4-year-old children in three different weeks were measured by accelerometry: one week with the methodology they had been following (week 1); and two weeks in which movement was integrated into the content through a specific proposal (week 2) and the same improved proposal (week 3). The results reveal that the application of a movement integration program not only allowed students to work on academic content in a physically active way, but also significantly increased the amount of physical activity that children performed during the school day. However, it was necessary to carry out several interventions the same day, or make movement integration the reference methodology, to meet the minimum recommended physical activity levels. In addition, to increase their effectiveness, interventions should be continually reviewed and improved to increase the motor engagement time.

Does Learning Through Movement Improve Academic Performance in Primary Schoolchildren? A Systematic Review

Physically active children have greater motor competence and a faster maturation compared with their sedentary peers. Recent research also suggests that physical activity during childhood may also promote cognitive development and therefore improve academic performance. The aim of this study was to understand if physically active academic lessons may improve academic achievement in primary schoolchildren. A systematic review following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines was conducted. The search was performed on the following database: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and PsycINFO (APA). Studies evaluating schoolchildren aged between 3 and 11 years taking part in educational contexts that include physical activity and natural environments evaluating physical fitness and/or educational outcomes were included. A total of 54 studies (for a total sample of 29,460 schoolchildren) were considered eligible and included in the qualitative synthesis. The Effective Public Health Practice Project risk-of-bias assessment revealed a moderate quality of the included studies with only two considered weeks. Despite differences in the retrieved protocols, physically active academic lessons improve the total time engaged in physical activity, motor skills, and/or academic performance. The results of this review suggest that learning through movement is an effective, low-cost, and enjoyable strategy for elementary schoolchildren.