Barriers and Facilitators to Toddlers’ Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Perceived by Teachers, Principals and Parents: A Challenge for the Early Childhood Educational Environments
The aim of our study was to explore the barriers and facilitators that teachers, principals, and parents face when adapting to COVID-19 pandemic scenario in terms of promoting toddlers’ physical activity (PA). Thirty-four (20 teachers and principals, and 14 parents) semi-structured qualitative inter...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-05-01
|
| Series: | Education Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/5/349 |
| _version_ | 1797500281310674944 |
|---|---|
| author | Herminia Vega-Perona María del Mar Bernabé-Villodre Yolanda Cabrera García-Ochoa Vladimir E. Martínez-Bello |
| author_facet | Herminia Vega-Perona María del Mar Bernabé-Villodre Yolanda Cabrera García-Ochoa Vladimir E. Martínez-Bello |
| author_sort | Herminia Vega-Perona |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of our study was to explore the barriers and facilitators that teachers, principals, and parents face when adapting to COVID-19 pandemic scenario in terms of promoting toddlers’ physical activity (PA). Thirty-four (20 teachers and principals, and 14 parents) semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted from October 2020 to March 2021. The socioecological model has enabled the identification of barriers and facilitators, some of which are related to the pandemic and others which are not. The main results suggest that upon reopening the ECEC institutions, regarding environmental barriers, educators mentioned the impact on the use of space, and parents, the modification of daily activities generated by COVID-19. However, educators also considered that the presence of suitable spaces in the school for practicing PA was a facilitator. At the intra- and interpersonal level, facilitators of PA that were unrelated to the pandemic included, for parents, the predisposition of children to be physically active and their own function as role models, and for educators, the curricular practices themselves. At an environmental level, the risk of danger in the traditional classroom plus bad weather were considered barriers by educators, while parents mentioned difficulties accessing outdoor space and the poor suitability of indoor spaces. Our results suggest the simultaneous analysis of the perceptions of different actors in the educational environments offers a broad vision of the ecological alternatives for offering children opportunities for PA in these difficult times. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:59:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1bf557c312454168a20c438e68d99f04 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:59:40Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-1bf557c312454168a20c438e68d99f042023-11-23T10:45:58ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022022-05-0112534910.3390/educsci12050349Barriers and Facilitators to Toddlers’ Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Perceived by Teachers, Principals and Parents: A Challenge for the Early Childhood Educational EnvironmentsHerminia Vega-Perona0María del Mar Bernabé-Villodre1Yolanda Cabrera García-Ochoa2Vladimir E. Martínez-Bello3Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, SpainCOS Research Group, Body, Movement, Music and Curricular Practices, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, SpainThe aim of our study was to explore the barriers and facilitators that teachers, principals, and parents face when adapting to COVID-19 pandemic scenario in terms of promoting toddlers’ physical activity (PA). Thirty-four (20 teachers and principals, and 14 parents) semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted from October 2020 to March 2021. The socioecological model has enabled the identification of barriers and facilitators, some of which are related to the pandemic and others which are not. The main results suggest that upon reopening the ECEC institutions, regarding environmental barriers, educators mentioned the impact on the use of space, and parents, the modification of daily activities generated by COVID-19. However, educators also considered that the presence of suitable spaces in the school for practicing PA was a facilitator. At the intra- and interpersonal level, facilitators of PA that were unrelated to the pandemic included, for parents, the predisposition of children to be physically active and their own function as role models, and for educators, the curricular practices themselves. At an environmental level, the risk of danger in the traditional classroom plus bad weather were considered barriers by educators, while parents mentioned difficulties accessing outdoor space and the poor suitability of indoor spaces. Our results suggest the simultaneous analysis of the perceptions of different actors in the educational environments offers a broad vision of the ecological alternatives for offering children opportunities for PA in these difficult times.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/5/349physical activityeducational environmenttoddlersearly childhood education and careCOVID-19socioecological model |
| spellingShingle | Herminia Vega-Perona María del Mar Bernabé-Villodre Yolanda Cabrera García-Ochoa Vladimir E. Martínez-Bello Barriers and Facilitators to Toddlers’ Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Perceived by Teachers, Principals and Parents: A Challenge for the Early Childhood Educational Environments Education Sciences physical activity educational environment toddlers early childhood education and care COVID-19 socioecological model |
| title | Barriers and Facilitators to Toddlers’ Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Perceived by Teachers, Principals and Parents: A Challenge for the Early Childhood Educational Environments |
| title_full | Barriers and Facilitators to Toddlers’ Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Perceived by Teachers, Principals and Parents: A Challenge for the Early Childhood Educational Environments |
| title_fullStr | Barriers and Facilitators to Toddlers’ Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Perceived by Teachers, Principals and Parents: A Challenge for the Early Childhood Educational Environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Barriers and Facilitators to Toddlers’ Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Perceived by Teachers, Principals and Parents: A Challenge for the Early Childhood Educational Environments |
| title_short | Barriers and Facilitators to Toddlers’ Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Perceived by Teachers, Principals and Parents: A Challenge for the Early Childhood Educational Environments |
| title_sort | barriers and facilitators to toddlers physical activity during the covid 19 pandemic as perceived by teachers principals and parents a challenge for the early childhood educational environments |
| topic | physical activity educational environment toddlers early childhood education and care COVID-19 socioecological model |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/5/349 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT herminiavegaperona barriersandfacilitatorstotoddlersphysicalactivityduringthecovid19pandemicasperceivedbyteachersprincipalsandparentsachallengefortheearlychildhoodeducationalenvironments AT mariadelmarbernabevillodre barriersandfacilitatorstotoddlersphysicalactivityduringthecovid19pandemicasperceivedbyteachersprincipalsandparentsachallengefortheearlychildhoodeducationalenvironments AT yolandacabreragarciaochoa barriersandfacilitatorstotoddlersphysicalactivityduringthecovid19pandemicasperceivedbyteachersprincipalsandparentsachallengefortheearlychildhoodeducationalenvironments AT vladimiremartinezbello barriersandfacilitatorstotoddlersphysicalactivityduringthecovid19pandemicasperceivedbyteachersprincipalsandparentsachallengefortheearlychildhoodeducationalenvironments |