Physical activity in development of motor skills and cognitive processes in preschool children

409 Pages·2014·9.48 MB·English

Scuola Dottorale di Ateneo
Graduate School

Dottorato di ricerca
in Scienze della Cognizione e della Formazione
Ciclo XXVI
Anno di discussione 2015

Physical activity in development of motor skills and cognitive
processes in preschool children: consequences in school
readiness

SETTORE SCIENTIFICO DISCIPLINARE DI AFFERENZA: M-PED/03
Tesi di Dottorato di Patrizia Tortella, matricola 955889

Coordinatore del Dottorato Tutore del Dottorando

Prof. Carlo Natali Prof. Fiorino Tessaro
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments .................................................................................... 9
Preface ...................................................................................................... 11
Prefazione ................................................................................................. 13
Glossary .................................................................................................... 17

PART I: GENERAL INTRODUCTION ............................................... 21
1 Theoretical perspectives .......................................................... 21
1.1 What is the basic nature of humans? What are the contributions of ............. 23
nature and nurture to development?
1.2 How knowledge and behavior arise from genetic endowment,....................... 26
physical maturation and experience?
2 Motor development ................................................................. 33
2.1 Is motor development a general, universal developmental process?.............. 33
2.2 The maturational perspective ........................................................................ 34
2.3 A descriptive period ........................................................................................ 37
2.4 A period of forgetfulness ............................................................................... 38
2.5 Information processing ................................................................................ 38
3 A new idea of motor development: the ecological perspective 41
3.1 Gibson’s ecological theory of perceptual development ................................... 43
3.2 Dynamical systems approach ....................................................................... 44
3.3 The constraints that influence the development ............................................... 45
4 The state of research ................................................................. 47
4.1 Behavior is embedded .................................................................................. 47
4.2 Movement is embodied ................................................................................. 50
4.3 Motor development is encultured .................................................................... 52
4.4 Current research in motor development ......................................................... 54
4.5 The role of caregivers in development ........................................................... 54
4.6 Between motor and cognitive development: Bronfenbrenner’s ...................... 57
bio-ecological theory of developmental processes
5 The development of cognitive abilities ..................................... 61
5.1 Vygotsky’s perspective .................................................................................. 62
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5.2 Developmental neuroscience ......................................................................... 63
5.3 Neural connection can be modified by experience ........................................ 64
5.4 Frontal cortex and cognitive functions: maturation or experience?............. 64
5.5 The prefrontal cortex and the executive functions ........................................ 67
5.6 Prefrontal cortex: maturation or experience? ............................................. 70
5.7 Genetic and environmental influences in brain development ....................... 73
6 Child’s environment and effects on cognitive functions, ........ 77
academic achieve-ment and performance
6.1 Influence of better executive functions in school readiness .......................... 78
6.2 Influence of worst executive functions ......................................................... 81
6.3 Benefits of early activity in improving executive functions ........................... 81
6.4 Are there evidences that improving executive functions we .......................... 83
improve academic performance?
7 Programs to enhance cognitive functions ............................... 85
7.1 Conditions to develop programs on EF increasing ...................................... 88
8 Physical exercise and modifications of the brain ................... 91
8.1 Summary of the explanation of why physical activity may ............................ 92
improve cognitive functions
8.2 Physical exercise, cognitive functions and academic achievement .............. 93
8.3 Classifications of the studies ........................................................................... 97
8.4 Some considerations about the benefit of physical activity .............................. 100
9 Physical activity and physical health ...................................... 105
9.1 Motor competence ....................................................................................... 101
9.2 Summarizing, what are the conditions influencing executive functions? ...... 115
10 Qualitative experiences of physical activities improve ........... 117
cognitive processes
10.1 Vygotsky’s theory and improvement of executive functions ......................... 119
in “Tools of the Mind”
10.2 What have these two methods in common? ................................................. 122
10.3 Another important aspect ............................................................................ 124
10.4 Summary .................................................................................................... 124
10.5 References ................................................................................................... 129
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PART II: ORIGINAL RESEARCH ................................................... 157
11 The design of the research ..................................................... 157
11.1 Study design .............................................................................................. 157
11.2 Quadro generale della ricerca ................................................................... 170
11.3 References ................................................................................................. 175

PART III: THE STUDIES .................................................................. 177
12 Question a) “what is the role of the environment ..................... 177
in developing physical activity in preschool children?"
12.1 Study 1A - Prospettiva ecologica: importanza di ambiente e ....................... 178
contesto nello sviluppo motorio dei bambini / Ecological perspective:
importance of environment in child motor development.
12.2 Study 1B - Paper - Prospettiva ecologica: importanza di ambiente ............. 187
e contesto nello sviluppo motorio dei bambini
12.3 Study 2A - Motor cognition during free play in 3 years old children .......... 194
builds up on factors involving space organization and social
interaction/ L’organizzazione di spazi e ambiente contribuisce a costruire
la cognizione motoria , durante il gioco libero, nei bambini di 3 anni.
12.4 Study 2B - PAPER - Motor cognition during free games in 3 ...................... 203
years old children builds up on factors involving space organization
and social interaction.
13 Question b: “How may we develop motor skills in children”? 215
13.1 Study 3 - PAPER - New environments for the education of 0-6 years .......... 215
old children: what teachers think about the playground for formal and
non formal education. Nuovi spazi per l’educazione dei bambini da
0 a 6 anni: cosa pensano gli insegnanti del parco giochi come luogo
di educazione formale e non formale
13.2 Study 4A - Manuscript in preparation: Exploring the effects ....................... 229
of 10 hours playground activity on motor competence and physical
fitness in 5 year old children
13.3 Study 4B - Paper: Exploring the effects and specificity of .......................... 251
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playground activities on motor skills in 5 years old children
13.4 Other results of the research at the playground? ......................................... 253

14 Question c) “if and how may we develop cognitive ................ 261
processes by means of physical activity”?
14.1 Study 5 A - Paper Percezione-azione: il ruolo dell’educatore nella .......... 262
attribuzione di significato all’ambiente e al compito, con bambini di 5 anni
14.2 Study 5 B - Paper - Difficult motor skill acquisition in 5 y old ................ 268
children can be modulated by educators
14.3 Studio 6 - Paper - Health, physical activity and executive functions ......... 274
in 3-5 years old children. The opinions of the parents. : Salute, attività
fisica e funzioni esecutive nei bambini da 3 a 5 anni. Le opinioni dei genitori.
14.4 Study 7 - Paper – Mente e corpo nella relazione educativa ...................... 297
nelle scuole dell’infanzia: lo sviluppo delle capabilities per una buona
qualità della vita/Mind and body in the educational relationship in
Kindergarden: the develop of capabilities for a good quality of life
14.5 Study 8 - Paper – How can teachers contribute to develop ...................... 305
executive functions through motor activity?
14.6 Study 9 – Are there improvements of cognitive processes with the ........... 316
activities at the playground?
14.7 Study 10 - Focus groups with teachers of primaries schools .................... 323

15 Altre osservazioni qualitative .............................................. 323
15.1 Study 11 - Uno studio sull’asse orizzontale del parco giochi ................... 323
15.2 Study 12 - Considerazionie / studio qualitativo. Interviste e ...................... 331
focus groups con insegnanti e genitori dei bambini al parco sul
tema del pericolo/ Considerations – a qualitative study. Teacher at the
playground and the fear of danger for children, a focus group with parents
of children attending the playground.
15.3 Study 13 – Attività fisica e successo scolastico/ physical activity .............. 341
and school readiness

PART IV: SUMMARY OF RESULTS, DISCUSSION AND ............. 351
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CONCLUSIONS
16 Summary of results ............................................................. 351
17 Riassunto dei risultati .......................................................... 363
18 Overall discussion and conclusion, practical implications .. 375
and directions for further research.
18.1 Study 1 ........................................................................................................ 378
18.2 Study 2........................................................................................................ 378
18.3 Study 3........................................................................................................ 379
19 Discussione, conclusione, implicazioni pratiche, .................. 383
indicazioni per ricerche future
20 Papers discussed in the thesis ............................................... 393
21 Publications by the author ................................................... 397
21.1 International publications by the author: Articles in international ........... 397
peer-reviewed journals
21.2 International publications by the author: Abstracts in international ......... 398
peer-reviewed journals
21.3 Oral presentations at international congresses ......................................... 398
21.4 Poster presentations at international congresses ....................................... 399
21.5 Stages abroad...................................................................................................... 399
21.6 Designing the Primo Sport 0246 playgrounds for children 0-6 ................. 400
years old
21.7 Publications in Italian ....................................................................................... 400
21.8 Capitoli di libri in lingua inglese ............................................................. 403
21.9 Relazioni orali a convegni e congressi nazionali ...................................... 403
21.10 Presentazione di poster a seminari e convegni nazionali ........................... 405

Estratto per riassunto della tesi di dottorato ...................................... 407
Abstract in lingua italiana ..................................................................... 407
Abstract in English ................................................................................ 407

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Acknowledgements

I gratefully acknowledge
 my tutor Prof. Fiorino Tessaro, University of Cà Foscari, Venice, for support and
for the great trust in me
 Prof. Hermundur Sigmundsson NTNU University of Trondheim, Prof. Monika
Haga, Sor- Trondelag University College Trondheim, Norway, for the support
and the critical reading of the preliminary data of this thesis
 Laboratorio 0246 of Ghirada, Treviso for the collaboration and the personal
support provided by its president, Giorgio Buzzavo and the dynamic organizer
dott. Enrico Castorina
 The physical educators at the playground PRIMO SPORT 0246 for carefully
following my indication and their constant support
 Ing. Giovanni Ottoni CONI of Treviso, for providing the necessary economic and
human support required to carry out the study at the Ghirada
 All the teachers and the children that participate to the research
 My son Alessandro with his friend Letizia and my daughter Silvia for the support
and patience

Last but not least I am indescribably thankful to Prof. Guido Fumagalli for helpful
comments, constructive criticism, support and constant encouragement.

Venice, October 31, 2014

Patrizia Tortella
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