Physical Education in Pre-primary Education System of Hong Kong

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English. Pre-primary education aims at assuring a balanced development of physical fitness, intelligence, language, interpersonal relation and emotion, nurturing interest of learning, as well as preparing for formal education in the future. Physical activity seems to be part of the pre-primary education in Hong Kong. However, time spent on physical activities in the current pre-primary curriculum is significantly reduced when comparing with that of thirty years ago. Based on the methodology of anthropology, fieldwork was carried out. The study design adopted qualitative and quantitative research methods and aimed at exploring in what extent principals, officers and teachers of kindergartens in Hong Kong were concerned about physical activity patterns of preschool children, understanding how they critiqued the environment and facilities in relation to physical activities, and knowing how they commented to their self-efficacy on leading pre-primary physical activities. It was found that physical activity had not been addressed adequately in the curriculum design of pre-primary education in Hong Kong. The self-efficacy on leading pre-primary physical activities was quite low among pre-primary teachers. The environment and availability of facilities were not favorable to the execution of pre-primary physical activity programmes. Physical education orientates pre-primary education in the future. 學前教育是要使幼兒在體能、智慧、語言、社群及情緒等方面有均衡的發展，並培養他們對學習的興趣，為日後的教育作好準備。香港學前教育應該或多或少包含身體活動元素，然而相對於三十年前的課程，現時幼稚園課程冢內的身體活動時數似乎大幅減少了。本研究以人類學常用的田野調查作為方法論，採用定性與定量研究合併的互補取徑，探討香港幼稚園校長、主任和老師對幼兒身體活動的關注程度，以及瞭解她們對活動環境配套和帶領身體活動的自我效能評價。研究發現香港學前教育課程設計對幼兒身體活動的關注程度不足，老師帶領身體活動的自我效能評價普遍偏低，而且幼稚園的活動環境配套不利於幼兒身體活動的執行。幼兒體育應該是香港學前教育的未來導向。