Undergraduates' physical exercise habits and motives and their relationship with the value given to physical education

Abstract

The potential of motor skills in Early Childhood Education could be affected by several factors, such as teachers' attitude towards motor development in pre-schoolers or their physical exercise habits. For that reason, the aim was to know future teachers' habits and motives to do physical exercise, assessing if this affects the value that teachers give to the development of psychomotricity in this stage. The sample was composed of 196 undergraduates from the first three years of the Degree in Early Childhood Education, aged between 18 and 21 years old. In order to know their reasons for doing physical exercise, they filled the Motives for Physical Activity Measure-Revised. In addition, their opinions regarding the usefulness of Physical Education lessons for the future of preschoolers, and the aspects to which motor skills contribute the most, were revealed, as well as their physical exercise habits. Undergraduates belonging to the second and third year were those who considered Physical Education lessons as more useful. The great majority of students did physical exercise for reasons such as fitness and enjoyment. Positive correlations were found between the fitness subscale and the usefulness given to Physical Education lessons by undergraduates. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that Physical Education lessons have great importance in Early Childhood Education according to future teachers. Furthermore, taking these findings into account, the need to promote physical exercise among them is also highlighted, with the aim of increasing the value of psychomotricity.