DRHDC Research Seminar with the topic: “Getting young children into physical activity: what does this mean for early childhood educators?” was held on March 30 2022, which consisted of two presentations exploring physical activities of children as understood by early childhood educators. The first speaker Ms. Charla Rochella Santiago Saamong shared a pilot study with the purpose of obtaining a preliminary understanding of the experiences and understanding of Filipino early childhood educators towards physical activities in their respective settings, to inform the development of a protocol and interview guide for a larger qualitative research study on the same topic. This was followed by two studies that explored the concept of physical literacy with early childhood educators in Hong Kong, presented by Dr Catherine M. Capio. The first study used a mixed-method-embedded study design, where early childhood teachers and principals participated in interviews. The second study used a descriptive quantitative design, where teachers responded to an online survey. The findings provide us insights on early childhood educators’ awareness of physical literacy, how they understood the concept, their perceptions of their own physical literacy, and the ways through which they integrate it into their curricula.
Biography:
Charla is a Year 1 PhD student from the ECE Department of EdUHK. She is an early childhood educator and college instructor from the Philippines before she began her studies in EdUHK. Her research focuses on the experiences of Filipino early childhood educators in terms of facilitating physical activities in their respective classes. Through research, Charla hopes to gain an understanding of the role of contexts in teaching Charla Rochella Santiago Saamong practices and to inform local policies related to physical activities and young children.
Catherine comes from a background of practice, research, and government policy. Prior to joining the Education University of Hong Kong, she focused on using research to inform government policies in New Zealand. She was also an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health in the University of Hong Kong. Catherine is a paediatric physiotherapist, and this contributes to her drive for evidence-informed practice that contributes to the physical health and development of children.