A motor creativity intervention in the Greek early childhood education settings: Effects on beliefs about health

Authors

• Despoina Ourda Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• Athanasios Gregoriadis Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• Katerina Mouratidou Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• George Grouios Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• Haralambos Tsorbatzoudis Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Keywords:

fluency, imagination, originality, health, preschool children, motor creativity

Abstract

Motor creativity has been positively associated with preschool children learning. The present study was set out to develop a motor creativity intervention using healthy lifestyle stimuli and test its efficacy in enhancing preschool children’s knowledge about health and changing their attitudes towards healthy nutrition and exercise. In Study 1, 101 preschool children were assigned into control and experimental groups. Children performed the Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement (TCAM) to measure motor creativity. The results of the repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant increase in all dimensions of motor creativity in the experimental group. In Study 2, 138 preschool children were assigned into control and experimental groups. Children performed the TCAM, and completed the Health Lifestyle Evaluation Instrument and measures of attitudes towards healthy nutrition and exercise. The analysis of variance with repeated measures revealed a significant increase of knowledge towards health in the experimental group, but non-significant differences between the groups in the attitudes towards healthy nutrition and exercise. The findings provide valuable information about the effect of motor creativity in the learning process in kindergarten schools.