Preschool teachers' understanding and use of supplementary activities to teach Physical Education

Abstract

A lack of both incidental and structured physical activities during the school day is a global concern, with many schools failing to provide children with  sufficient movement opportunities. Researchers agree that supplementary physical activities (SPA) are beneficial for children’s academic performances,  their social and emotional wellbeing, health and physical development. Because the South African curriculum only makes provision for two hours of  physical education per week, the implementation of supplementary physical activities is crucial to help children engage in the 60 minutes of daily  movement required to ensure optimum health. However, international studies show that teachers often resist engaging learners in such activities.  Ignorance, inexperience, a misperception of what supplementary physical activities entail, as well as valuing the acquisition of content knowledge over  movement are some of the reasons for this deficit. Using Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence as heuristic, this study explores preschool teachers' understanding of supplementary physical activities and how they use it in their classes. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted,  and field notes used to collect data from 15 preschool teachers in three schools in Gauteng, South Africa. While the results confirm teachers' understanding of supplementary physical activities, challenges such as a lack of time, and pressure to deliver on academic outcomes, prevent most  teachers from using SPA in their classes. Findings suggest the need for the Department of Education to reconsider SPA as a pedagogical approach and  provide the much-needed continuous professional development for teachers in this field. This study addresses an important knowledge gap and provides  insight into how preschool teachers and children can benefit from SPA initiatives and SPAs.