Physical Education Policies and Practices in Qatari Preschools: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

Anecdotal evidence and empirical research point out to the low physical activity levels at preschools as well as the global rise in childhood obesity rates. Placing a high premium on sports and healthy well-being of its citizens by the Qatari government, taking into account the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among Qatari children, and given the significance of physical activity during the development phase of preschool children all served as a rationale for the current research. The purpose of this study was to assess the preschool physical education practices and policies in Qatar. 40 teachers from 19 public independent and private international schools completed the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC). Findings revealed that the total mean scores for the “time provided,” “teacher practices,” and “policy” sections of the NAP SACC were noted to be on the lower continuum of the best practice recommendations regardless of the preschool type (public vs. private). Higher mean scores on four sections of the NAP SACC were reported for the physical education preschool teachers in private international schools as compared to their counterparts in public independent schools. Significant effects of school type on the following three sections of the assessment: Time provided, indoor play environment, and policy were also revealed. Implications are discussed in the context of curriculum practices, professional development, and family-school partnership.

Keywords: Physical education, Professional development, School-Family partnership, Preschool curriculum