Examination of pre service early childhood teachers opinions and practices on movement activities

From the moment they are born, children with motor development are able to explore the World and interact with others. Acquiring motor skills at an early age is important for having an active life in adulthood. Learning these skills correctly in early childhood will form the basis of complex movement skills to be developed in the future. When the research are examined, it is seen that the basic movement skills of children are lower than desired. Teachers have an important role in the educational process of children. Achieving the targeted gains and indicators is directly related to the quality of the activity plan prepared by the teachers. It is necessary to increase the quality of teachers' education in order to provide a quality education. Since this research provide information on the movement activities of pre-service early childhood educator, it is assumed that it provides concrete data to the decision makers regarding the undergraduate education of the teachers. In this study, the views and practices of pre-service early childhood teachers about movement activities are examined. Case study, one of the qualitative research methods, was adopted in this study. Fifteen students studying in the Department of Early Childhood Education have participated in study, and pre-service early childhood educators have been observed. The data of the study collected with demographic information form, interview form and activity observation form. Descriptive and content analysis methods have used in the analysis of data. The findings of the research show that most of the criteria stated in the interviews are not included in planning and implementing movement activities.