Children’s fundamental motor skills as a starting point for educational change within the learning environment in early childhood education and care centres

Authors

• Mikaela Svanbäck-Laaksonen Åbo Akademi University, Finland
• Mia Heikkilä Åbo Akademi University, Finland

Keywords:

fundamental motor skills, physical activity, learning environment, interactive research

Abstract

The aim of the study is to analyse educational change around the indoor learning environment in early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres through interactive research. The educational change is focused on developing the environment in order to support children’s exercise of fundamental motor skills (FMS) and it is about working with the professional learning of the staff. The study was conducted in Finland and examines which factors are central in educational change concerning the indoor learning environment. Nine ECEC units in five municipalities in the region of Ostrobothnia participated. The empirical data material consists of notes from supervision sessions, observations of children and self-assessment schedules by the staff at the ECEC units. The data was analyzed by the researchers based on a qualitative approach. The research results show that educational change can give the children more opportunities to exercise the fundamental motor skills when the learning environment changes. The results show on four themes – developing knowledge results in changing environments, clarity through goal formulation gives common striving, participation in organization gives responsibility and presence, willingness to change increases awareness – that have significance for more long-term and sustainable change in the everyday work in ECEC centres.