Establishing a Research Network, Student Participation in Research and Mapping of Physical Play and Activity in the Kindergarten, 2011

Our goal is to achieve practice-based knowledge about bodily play in kindergarten. Something that simultaneously strengthens R & D efforts in teacher education programs and ensure a better link between professional education and practical professions . We want to involve students and staff in kindergartens in a collaborative project with researchers and between researchers. In this pilot project we will develop and try out different methodological tools , develop a theoretical basis and provide us with the experience and a basis for application to a main project on factors that inhibit and promote children's physical activity and physical play in kindergarten.

Two researchers and students at OUC will develop an observation form as tested in kindergartens. Students are involved as observers and SRI . The aim is to identify factors that hinder and promote the bodily play . At HiF there will be developed a questionnaire to employees about their children's activity levels and opportunities include play . The children observed and simultaneously with observations some children will be equipped with recording devices for heart rate ( Team2 ) and movement ( G T1M ) . The answers to the questionnaire, observations and quantitative records are compared. How good is the qualitative methods to quantitative ?

The observations can tell us something about the impeding and facilitating factors. By UiT the focus is on the daycare center . The tentative research question can be said to be: In what way promotes / inhibits employees child physical play and physical activity in kindergarten. We will develop a questionnaire and an observation form to identify factors in the staff and kindergarten. When it comes to kindergarten learning environment, we are thinking about tripartite division. Inside, outside close around the kindergarten, and the kindergarten's nearby natural environment will be studied . It may be necessary to test the use of activity measurements ( actigraph GT1M ) on staff. Literature studies , trials of methodological tools , joint discussions and networking gives us the basis for the application to PRAKUT .